Bronze in Art and Design: The Enduring Allure of a Timeless Medium

126 products

126 products
18th century bronze field gun with wooden carriage and iron mounts by Nicholas Wells Antiques
Bronze Field Gun | Antique | 18th Century
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Pierre Le Faguays Art Deco bronze sculpture The Wheel, dynamic male figure pushing a large wheel, circa 1930.
Pierre Le Faguays
Collection NE10
Vincenzo Gemito bronze bust of Il Filosofo, Italian antique philosopher sculpture with brown gold patina, circa 1890.
Vincenzo Gemito black and white photo circa 1888, showing men outside a foundry in Naples with sculpture Il Filosofo on ground.
Vincenzo Gemito
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Bronze Hippo Antique Sculpture on carved giltwood gadrooned marble base, European circa 1900, 21x36x23 cm size.
Bronze Hippo Antique Sculpture on marble base with carved giltwood edges, European, circa 1900, 21x36x23 cm.
Bronze Hippo Antique Sculpture
Collection CK40
Antique Bronze Statue of Zeus riding an Eagle, 19th century French sculpture, 40cm tall on decorative base.
Antique Bronze Statue of Zeus riding an Eagle, detailed 19th-century bronze sculpture of Zeus with textured hair and beard.
Antique Bronze Statue of Zeus riding an Eagle
Collection CK40
Pair Of Neo Egyptian Empire Gilt Bronze Candlesticks with female caryatid figures and lion mask nozzles, circa 1820.
Pair Of Neo Egyptian Empire Gilt Bronze Candlesticks with caryatid figures and lion mask handles, circa 1820, France.
Pair Of Neo Egyptian Empire Gilt Bronze Candlesticks
Collection CK40
Pair of 19th-century bronze Grand Tour vases after the Medici Vase, Neo-Classical style by Collection CK20.
Pair of elegant 19th-century bronze Grand Tour vases inspired by Medici Vase by Collection CK20.
Pair of Grand Tour Models after the Medici Vase
Collection CK20
Grand Tour bronze vase with classical reliefs and fluted handles from Collection CK20, circa 1820 Italy craftsmanship
Grand Tour bronze vase after the antique with exquisite relief and classical motifs by Collection CK20, circa 1820 Italy.
Grand Tour Bronze Vase After The Antique
Collection CK20
Pair of Bronze and Ormolu Candlesticks
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Pair of French Carcel Polished Bronze Table Lamps with Corinthian columns and lion paw feet, circa 1840.
Pair of French Carcel Polished Bronze Table Lamps showing detailed bronze base with lion mask paw feet and internal oil pump mechanism.
Pair of French Carcel Polished Bronze Table Lamps
Collection CK40
Pair of Genet & Michon Bronze Table Lamps with white shades, French Art Deco style, circa 1930, gilded bronze design.
Pair of Genet et Michon Bronze Table Lamps, Art Deco French patinated and gilded bronze, circa 1930, 33 cm high.
Genet & Michon Pair Bronze Table Lamps
Nicholas Wells Antiques
19th-century French Japonism bronze vase with floral details on bronze dish by Nicholas Wells Antiques
19th-century Japonism bronze vase with floral swags and gilt details on dish by Nicholas Wells Antiques
Japonism French Bronze mounted Vase and Dish
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Giambologna bronze sculpture of Cesarini Venus, early 19th century classical revival, Italy circa 1830, 35 cm tall.
Giambologna early 19th century bronze Venus statue, classical revival, Italy circa 1830, 35 cm tall on stand 46 cm.
Giambologna
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Japanese bronze stag sculpture from the Showa period by Collection TH10, showcasing refined mid-20th-century craftsmanship
Japanese bronze sculpture of a stag from the Showa period by Collection TH10 with fine patinated finish
A Japanese bronze model of a Stag
Collection TH10
Gilt Bronze and Rosso Francia Marble Candelabra with six lights on ornate gilt-bronze arms, 19th-century French design.
Gilt Bronze and Rosso Francia Marble Candelabra close-up showing detailed gilt bronze decorative elements.
Gilt Bronze and Rosso Francia Marble Candelabra
Collection CK40
Discobolus After Myron Bronze After the Antique, 19th century bronze sculpture depicting a discus thrower.
Discobolus After Myron Bronze After the Antique depicts a dynamic ancient Greek discus thrower sculpture.
Discobolus After Myron | Bronze After the Antique
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Naukydes Discobolos bronze statue after antique Italy circa 1800, 42 cm tall depicting a discus thrower
Naukydes Discobolos bronze statue after antique Italy circa 1800 showing a discus thrower from the back view
Naukydes Discobolos
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Dionysus – “Narcissus” 19th Century Bronze Statue with black-brown patina, depicting Narcissus in classical pose.
Dionysus – “Narcissus” 19th Century Bronze Statue of a male figure with black-brown patina and detailed curls.
Dionysus – “Narcissus” 19th Century Bronze Statue
Collection CK40
Pair of Charles X cut glass and gilt bronze vases with swan neck handles from Collection CK20 circa 1825 France
Close-up of Charles X crystal vase with ornate gilt bronze swan handle from Collection CK20
Pair of Charles X Cut Glass and Gilt Bronze Vases
Collection CK20
Set of four Louis XIV style bronze four light wall appliques by Collection TH10 with ornate baroque design
Set of two Louis XIV style bronze four light wall appliques from Collection TH10 with intricate baroque detailing
Set of Four Louis XIV style 20th century bronze four light wall appliques
Collection TH10
Collection EE20 of nine 19th century Indian teak rice measures with brass bindings and ribbed turned bodies
Close-up of 19th century brass bound teak rice measure from Collection EE20 with intricate ribbed design and detailed mounts
Collection of 9 brass bound rice measures
Collection EE20
19th-century Lord Byron gilt bronze mantel clock with Roman numerals by Nicholas Wells Antiques
Lord Byron gilt bronze figure detail from Napoleon III mantel clock by Nicholas Wells Antiques
Lord Byron Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock
Nicholas Wells Antiques
18th century bronze prow of South Indian ‘Luang’ river ship, antique maritime artifact by Collection EE20
18th Century Bronze Prow Of A South Indian ‘Luang’ River Ship
Collection EE20
Pair Of French Gilt Bronze And Tole Antique Gold Column Table Lamps with black shade and detailed gold column bases.
Pair Of French Gilt Bronze And Tole Antique Gold Column Table Lamps with black shade, Art Deco style circa 1930 France.
Pair Of French Gilt Bronze And Tole Antique Gold Column Table Lamps
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Grand Tour Bronze Recumbent Mastiff Dog sculpture on Siena marble plinth, 19th century French antique artwork.
Grand Tour Bronze Recumbent Mastiff Dog sculpture lying down on a Siena marble plinth circa 1830.
Grand Tour Bronze Recumbent Mastiff Dog
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Grand Tour Equestrian Bronze sculpture showing a rearing horse evading a striking snake on a marble base.
Grand Tour Equestrian Bronze sculpture of a rearing horse confronting a striking snake, symbolizing good versus evil.
Grand Tour Equestrian Bronze
Collection CK40
Rare Pair of 17th Century Bronze Candlesticks
Collection EE10
Baccarat Harcourt Glass and Gilt Bronze Champagne Cooler
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Important antique Sindh bronze pot mounted as a table lamp, 19th century, large scale, 60 cm height, 50 cm diameter.
Important antique Sindh bronze pot mounted as a table lamp with detailed craftsmanship and aged patina from the 19th century.
Important antique Sindh bronze pot mounted as a table lamp
Collection EE20
Pair of French Gilt Bronze Neo Classical Candlestick Table Lamps with white marble bases, circa 1880, 30 cm tall.
Pair of French Gilt Bronze Neo Classical Candlestick Table Lamps with white marble bases and gilt bead borders.
Pair of French Gilt Bronze Neo Classical Candlestick Table Lamps
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Bronze Figure of Asclepius showing Greek god with staff and serpent, antique bronze sculpture circa 1850, Italy.
Bronze Figure of Asclepius showing Greek god holding a staff with snake, draped in robes, antique bronze sculpture.
Bronze Figure of Asclepius
Nicholas Wells Antiques
A William IV bronze gothic column lamp with crown capital and medieval-style figures on a decorated triangular plinth.
A William IV bronze gothic column lamp with intricate medieval-style figures and decorative gothic niches.
A William IV bronze gothic column lamp
Collection TH30
Grand Tour Neapolitan bronze vase after antique, circa 1900, with elegant amphora shape by Collection TH20
Close-up of bronze Neapolitan vase handle featuring a classical face detail from Collection TH20.
Grand Tour Neapolitan vase after the Antique Attributed to De Angelis
Collection TH20
Triton and Nereid bronze sculpture on Verde d’Alep marble base, circa 1850, intricate 17th-century design.
Triton and Nereid
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Pair of Dark Bronze Empire Column Lamps After The Antique AJX with intricate classical design and fluted column details
Pair of Dark Bronze Empire Column Lamps After The Antique AJX with intricate carved leaf details on column base
Pair of Dark Bronze Empire Column Lamps After The Antique AJX
The Neo Classical Lamp Company
Pair of Neo-Classical Bronze Urn Lamps with leaf decoration and lacquered brass handles, circa 1970, England, 29 inches tall.
Pair of Neo-Classical Bronze Urn Lamps with lacquered brass handles and reeded body, England circa 1970, tall beige shade
Pair of Neo-Classical Bronze Urn Lamps
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Mid Century Bronze Three Branch Candelabra
Collection EE10
William Theed III bronze portrait bust of Prince Albert the Prince Consort, England circa 1864, 38 cm tall.
William Theed III bronze bust of Prince Albert the Prince Consort detailed sculpture circa 1864 England
William Theed III
Collection CK40
Bronze Bust of Homer, ancient Greek poet sculpture with laurel wreath, mounted on breche violet and black marble base.
Bronze Bust of Homer with laurel wreath on breche violet and black Belgian marble base, circa 1830, Italy.
Bronze Bust of Homer
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Pair of Gilt Bronze French Louis XV Rococo Candelabra by Jollet & Cie
Collection NI10

Bronze, a copper-based alloy typically blended with tin, has been a cornerstone of artistic and functional design for millennia. Its relatively low melting point and excellent casting qualities made it the medium of choice for sculptors, artisans, and metalworkers from ancient civilisations to modern ateliers.

Material Qualities

Celebrated for its durability and resistance to corrosion, bronze has shaped weapons, tools, coins, musical instruments, and — most enduringly — fine art. One of its defining characteristics is its capacity to develop a patina: a surface layer formed through oxidation and environmental exposure. Far from diminishing the material, patination enriches it — transforming golden surfaces into shades of green, brown, and black, and lending objects a depth and gravitas that artists and collectors have long prized.

Bronze in the 18th and 19th Centuries

Bronze enjoyed a renewed prominence during the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly among European elites on the Grand Tour. Leading foundries such as Barbedienne in Paris and Chiurazzi in Naples produced exquisitely cast sculptures after the antique, admired for their crisp detail and cultivated patinas. These patinated surfaces elevated reproductions into works of art in their own right, balancing scholarly reference with aesthetic refinement.

Bronze in the Decorative Arts

Beyond sculpture, bronze played a central role in the decorative arts. Nowhere is this more evident than in ormolu — gilt-bronze mounts and embellishments adorning Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture, clocks, and porcelain. Using the demanding technique of mercury gilding, artisans produced mounts of dazzling brilliance and razor-sharp chased detail. Over time, their gilded surfaces mellowed with patina, prized as much for their aged authenticity as for their original opulence.

Legacy

From ancient ritual vessels to neoclassical statuary and gilded interiors, bronze has remained both a practical material and an artistic medium. Its enduring appeal lies not only in its strength but in the evolving surface that tells the story of centuries — a testament to tradition, craftsmanship, and transformation.
Recently viewed