Émile Guillemin Torchères
French, 1841-1907
Émile Guillemin was a celebrated 19th-century French sculptor whose Victorian-era masterpieces showed a deep love and appreciation for Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. He worked with the esteemed Barbedienne Foundry to create bronze figurative sculptures of exquisite detail. He also made statuesque bronze floor lamps and glinting silver centerpieces that retain their luster and charm to this day.
Guillemin was born in Paris in 1841. His father was sculptor Auguste Guillemin, who worked for aristocrats producing copies of ancient busts. Guillemin studied under his father and under sculptor Jean-Jules Salmson. He first exhibited his work at the Paris Salon of 1870 with two statues of Roman gladiators and continued showing his work at Paris Salons over the next three decades.
Although Guillemin was a prolific sculptor with a wide-ranging repertoire, he is most known for his Orientalist-style pieces, a term denoting the exoticization of Asian and Middle Eastern art in the West. What made Guillemin's work stand out was the great sensitivity and care he put into depicting his subjects in an accurate manner. From Japanese courtesans to Indian falconers, his subjects don accurate re-creations of the clothing, hairstyles and accouterments of their cultures.
Today, Guillemin's pieces remain in high demand. In 2008, a pair of busts he crafted in 1884, called Femme Kabyle d'Algerie and Janissaire du Sultan Mahmoud II, sold at auction for more than $1 million.
On 1stDibs, find Émile Guillemin sculptures, lighting and tableware.
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Creator: Émile Guillemin
Two Orientalist Patinated and Gilt Bronze Figural Torchères by Barbedienne
By Ferdinand Barbedienne, Émile Guillemin
Located in London, GB
Émile Coriolan Hippolyte Guillemin, the famous French sculptor, designed these exquisite bronze figural torchères in circa 1880. Guillemin was an accomplished artist, who regularly exhibited at the Salon in Paris from the 1870s-1890s. Indeed, Guillemin showcased the original models for these candelabra at the Salon of 1872 to great acclaim. Guillemin’s designs were realised in bronze by the famous metalworker and foundry owner, Ferdinand Barbedienne. The Barbedienne factory was of the leading producers of artistic bronzes in the 19th century. The firm enjoyed great success, winning multiple awards at the major International Exhibitions of the period. The torchères are signed, ‘Ele Guillemin’ and stamped, ‘F. Barbedienne. Fondeur’, with an ‘A. Collas’ reduction stamp.
Described in Barbedienne’s catalogue of 1886 as ‘Deux Femmes, Indienne et Persane’, these torchères take the form of an Indian and Persian woman. Each figure holds a five-light candelabrum above her head, composed of scrolled branches, wide gadrooned drip-pans, and foliate urn-shaped capitals. The Persian woman wears loose trousers, with a small top and short jacket. The Indian woman is dressed in a knotted skirt...
Category
Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Émile Guillemin Torchères
Materials
Bronze
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Émile Guillemin torchères for sale on 1stDibs.
Émile Guillemin torchères are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Émile Guillemin torchères, although gold editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original torchères by Émile Guillemin were created in the neoclassical style in france during the 19th century. Prices for Émile Guillemin torchères can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $43,358 and can go as high as $55,746, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $49,552.