1834

By 1834 Barbedienne was a successful wallpaper manufacturer; his original intention had been to reproduce ‘masterpieces from Antiquity and the Renaissance’.

1838

In 1838 he became founder, and went into partnership with Achille Collas (1795–1859), who had invented a method for making reductions of sculpture.

The firm, called Collas & Barbedienne, specialized in reproductions of antique and modern sculpture and eventually employed about 300 artists and workers, who produced as many as 1,200 subjects, including the work of Michelangelo, Luca della Robbia and Antoine-Louis Barye, as well as making busts of historical notables (e.g. Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin).

1850

By 1850 the firm was also producing a wide range of decorative objects—chandeliers, vases and furniture—in a variety of revival styles (e.g. Néo-Grec, Gothic and Louis XVI).

Between 1850 and 1854 the firm provided furnishings in the Renaissance Revival style for the Hôtel de Ville, Paris.

1862

From 1851 the firm, by then known as Barbedienne, received numerous medals at the international exhibitions, including medals in three different classes at the International Exhibition of 1862 in London.

Barbedienne’s work in enamel, which was at the forefront of the revival of enamelwork in France in the 19th century, was shown for the first time at this exhibition (e.g. gilt metal vase with champlevé enamel, c. 1862; London, V&A).

1886

In 1886 he was awarded the Jean Goujon Gold Medal by the Société d’Encouragement pour l’Industrie Nationale. The business was carried on by Barbedienne’s nephew after his death.