E. Frémiet (1824-1910) - F. Barbedienne (1810-1892), Bronze By Bertrand Du Guesclin, 19th Century.

Bronze with black patina on its red marble base. A stirrup is removable. Appointed governor of Pontorson (1359), Du Guesclin thereby became captain general of the Duchy of Normandy, while remaining a vassal of the Duke of Brittany. Waging a veritable war of harassment against the English occupiers, he acquired a reputation which earned him the nickname “Black Mastiff of Brocéliande”. Signed E.FREMIET, annotated: F.BARBEDIENNE FONDEUR A PARIS and Titled: BERTRAND DUGUESCLIN on the embankment. A broken reins restored.Good condition. Dimensions: H: 64.5 46 x 24 cm Emmanuel Fremiet, historical sculptor, mythological compositions, religious scenes, allegorical subjects, busts, animals, engraver, designer. Nephew of François Rude, he was his student. He worked in zoological and myological studies at the Natural History Museum, with the painter Jacques Christophe Werner, making osteology drawings for him. He was appointed professor of drawing at the Natural History Museum, following Antoine Barye, and member of the Paris Institute in 1892. He was promoted to Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1860, officer in 1878, commander in 1896 , grand officer in 1900. He exhibited in Paris at the Salon in 1843, obtaining numerous rewards there: a third class medal in 1849, as well as at the Universal Exhibition of 1855; a second class in 1851 and 1867, a medal of honor in 1887; a Grand Prix in 1900. The artist is best known for his sculptures. He created numerous animal studies and scenes in plaster or bronze, inspired by prehistoric animals. Emmanuel Frémiet received various orders: Louis d'Orléans, brother of Charles VI, for the Château de Pierrefonds; Saint Michel for the spire of Mont Saint-Michel; Bear cub finders for the plant garden; The Fame of the Arts - The Fame of the Sciences, groups composed of rearing Pegasi held by Renowns, crowning the pylons of the Alexandre III bridge; Sea horses for the Observatory fountain; Joan of Arc, equestrian statue erected at Place des Pyramides in 1880; Horse lantern holder for the Town Hall. The horses in his equestrian statues are sculpted in the detail of their coats, and if they have momentum, the characters accompanied by all the trappings of culture, remain treated in an academic manner. His works reveal his keen sense of observation, which is a reflection of his scientific studies; they teach him the truth of bodies, from the inside. He draws up a volume of nomenclatures of facts which make it possible to give, in some way, the species, the type of a medieval knight, of a saint. Ferdinand Barbedienne is a renowned French industrialist in the field of metallurgy and art foundry. Born in Paris, he initially worked as a manufacturer of furniture bronzes before founding his own company in 1838, the Barbedienne foundry, in partnership with Achille Collas, an inventor who specialized in reducing direct-cut sculptures into scale models. . The Barbedienne foundry quickly became one of the most important in France and played a major role in the production of artistic bronzes during the second half of the 19th century. His foundry collaborated with many renowned artists of the time, such as Jean-Baptiste Auguste Clésinger, Antoine-Louis Barye, and especially Auguste Rodin. After the death of Ferdinand Barbedienne in 1892, the foundry continued to operate under the name "Fonderie Barbedienne et Collas" before closing its doors in 1952. Today, Barbedienne's works are sought after by collectors around the world and are found in prestigious public and private collections.