Barbedienne Ferdinand (1810 - 1892), Sophocles, 19th century.

Patinated bronze; dimensions: 63.00 x 22.00 cm; signed on base: F. Barbedienne fondeur. On the back of the base a signature indicating how the casting was made: REDUCTION MECANIQUE A. COLLAS BREVETE. The foundry of Ferdinand Barbedienne and Achille Collas was opened in 1838 Paris. The first produced copies of museum-quality antique statues thanks to the "sculpture copying machine" invented by Collas. The foundry operated until 1952, but classical sculptures were copied only between 1838- 1843, 1859-1865 and 1876-1891. The antique original, a masterpiece of classical Greek art, is in the collection of the Pontifical Museo del Laterano in Rome. The sculpture depicts a prominent Greek writer and statesman, beside whom stands a container filled with scrolls containing the texts of his tragedies.