Pair of Busts of Niobe and a Niobid by Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810–1892), France, Late 19th Century

Pair of bronze busts by Ferdinand Barbedienne after antique models. Each is inscribed on the underside: “Niobé jeune No. 1” and “Niobé aînée” (“the eldest daughter”) No. 1.

 Niobe’s eldest daughter was one of the Niobids. The bronzes were made after antique models. Cf. the Niobid in the Villa Medici in Rome and the Niobe in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, after a 1st-century Roman copy of a Hellenistic original.
 
Stamped “F. Barbedienne.”
Foundry mark: “Réduction Mécanique, A. Collas Breveté.” The plinths are probably later.
Dimensions: Niobe: 26 × 15 × 11 cm / 10.2 × 5.9 × 4.3 in.
Niobid: 27 × 16 × 8 cm / 10.6 × 6.3 × 3.1 in.