LEVILLAIN ferdinand

Ferdinand Levillain (1837-1905) was taken under the wing of the sculptor Jouffroy (1806-1882), before making his debut in 1861 at the Salon des Artistes Français, where he exhibited until 1903. He stood out especially at the International Exposition of 1867 in Paris for having produced a neo-Greek bronze cup for Maison Blot et Drouard.

However, from 1871, Levillain really began to gain fame, thanks to his association with the famous bronze caster Ferdinand Barbedienne, who displayed lamps, cups, amphorae and other candelabra created in the Greek style at his stalls.

Levillain finally triumphed during the 1878 Paris Exposition, unanimously winning a Gold medal for his antique style works, which included a Neo-Greek vase. The famous bronze caster Servant (1828-c. 1890) claims in his report of the Jury on art bronzes, that his works “engraved like the finest jewels” and “with such varied and pure shapes ( …), are produced to the highest level of perfection”. After having received a 1st class medal at the Salon of 1884 for a cup entitled “Les Eléments, les Mois et les Saisons”, Levillain won a Silver medal at the 1889 Paris Exposition.