Ferdinand Barbedienne et Ferdinand Levillain

Pair of neo-Greek amphora vases signed F. Levillain Fecit and F. Barbedienne France Circa 1880 Height 52 cm; Diam. 21 cm Pair of Greek-style vases in bronze with two patinas. Each in the form of an amphora with a flared neck and belly, resting on a pedestal and square base. Very fine ornamentation of laurels, garlands of fruit and a bas-relief frieze in the antique style depicting the Centaurs and Lapiths fighting. The handles are supported by two masks. Biography Ferdinand Levillain (Paris 1837-1905) studied under the sculptor Jouffroy (1806-1882), before making his debut in 1861 at the Salon des Artistes Français, where he exhibited until 1903. It was at the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris, that he came to prominence for his work on a neo-Greek bronze bowl for Maison Blot et Drouard. However, it was from 1871 onwards that Levillain became famous, thanks to his association with the famous bronzemaker Ferdinand Barbedienne, whose stands displayed lamps, bowls, amphorae and other candelabras created in the Greek style. Levillain finally scored a triumph at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878, unanimously winning a Gold Medal for his works in the antique style, including this neo-Greek vase. The famous bronze-maker Servant (1828-c. 1890), in his Jury report on art bronzes, declared that his works, "chiselled like the finest jewels" and "with forms so varied and pure (...), are brought to the highest degree of perfection". After receiving a 1st class medal at the 1884 Salon for a bowl entitled "Les Eléments, les Mois et les Saisons", Ferdinand Levillain went on to win a silver medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. Born in 1810, died in Paris in 1892, Ferdinand Barbedienne created and directed one of the most important art foundries of the 19th century. In addition to his own production, he worked for such renowned sculptors as Clésinger, Carrier-Belleuse and Guillemin. His work was always highly acclaimed, and he was constantly honored by contemporary critics, who compared him to "a prince of industry and the king of bronze" at the 1878 Universal Exhibition. Related works by Levillain Plaster bas-relief Vendangeurs, 1877 Salon (no. 3966); Plaster bas-relief La cueillette du Houblon, 1878 Salon (no. 4411). Bibliography - F. Barbedienne éditeur, G. Leblanc-Barbedienne successeurs, Bronzes et objets d'art, Paris, 1911, p.79. - Stanislas Lami, Dictionnaire des sculpteurs de l'école française au XIXe siècle, t.III, Paris, 1919, Kraus reprint, 1970, p. 348.