Rating and value of Ferdinand Barbedienne's works, sculptures and lighting fixtures

If you own a work of art by or after Ferdinand Barbedienne, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its current market value. Then, if you wish to sell your work, we'll guide you towards the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and value of the artist Ferdinand Barbedienne

The artist Ferdinand Barbedienne left in his wake a very singular body of work, in a neo-Renaissance style. A talented sculptor, he produced numerous works that were particularly prized at auction. Prices for his works are now skyrocketing under auctioneers' gavels. They are particularly prized by French and European buyers. The price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €20 to €100,000, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Ferdinand Barbedienne's works. In 2013, a pair of ceramic vases from the Napoleon III period sold for €100,000, whereas they were estimated at between €30,000 and €50,000.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique of the artist Ferdinand Barbedienne  

Ferdinand Barbedienne succeeded in reviving the mastery of sculpture techniques: bronze, ceramics, in order to produce copies of masterpieces to make art accessible to the general public, at affordable prices.

Ferdinand Barbedienne, his life and work

Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892), a French artist, became an important figure in the 19th-century art world. He first developed a wallpaper business, then collaborated with Achille Collas to invent a mechanical process for reducing sculpture in the round, for which he filed a patent in 1837. They founded a company to market sculpture reductions.

At the 1839 national exhibition, he received a silver medal for a reduction of the Venus de Milo. Thanks to his growing success, he obtained reproduction contracts for many of the most sought-after sculptors of his day, such as Carrier-Belleuse and Barye. As his career progressed, the volume of his reproductions increased, enabling him to exhibit at the London World's Fair in 1851, and again in Paris in 1855.

With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian conflict in 1870, he was forced to cease his activity as an art foundryman, and turned to art enamels.

He died in Paris in 1892. 

Ferdinand Barbedienne's imprint on his period

Some of Fernand Barbedienne's works can be seen in various French cities, but relatively few: most of his work is in private collections. His legacy to the history of 19th-century art and sculpture is considerable.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Not all Ferdinand Barbedienne's works are signed. That's why, if you think you own a work by or after the artist, it's essential to have it appraised by an expert who can authenticate it.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by or after Ferdinand Barbedienne, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using the form on our website. A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as ad hoc information about it. If you wish to sell your work of art, our specialists will also be on hand to offer you alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends.