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Achille Collas was born in Paris in 1795. He worked as an engineer before joining the Army at the end of the [[First French Empire]]. Afterwards he worked as a toolmaker and inventor. He never married. He applied for many patents, most of them for long-forgotten inventions for buckle-making machines and other tools. His most successful inventions had to do with the reproduction of 3D artworks in 2D and 3D.<ref name=Harper/> |
Achille Collas was born in Paris in 1795. He worked as an engineer before joining the Army at the end of the [[First French Empire]]. Afterwards he worked as a toolmaker and inventor. He never married. He applied for many patents, most of them for long-forgotten inventions for buckle-making machines and other tools. His most successful inventions had to do with the reproduction of 3D artworks in 2D and 3D.<ref name=Harper/> |
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He produced the illustrations for ''The authors of England: A series of medallion portraits of modern literary characters, engraved from the works of British artists'' by [[Henry Fothergill Chorley]] from 1838: this work contains a ten page introduction outlining the new procédé of mechanically creating engravings from cameo's and medals, developed by Collas.<ref name=Chorley>{{cite book |title=The authors of England: A series of medallion portraits of modern literary characters, engraved from the works of British artists |last=Fothergill Chorley |first=Henry |year=1838 |publisher=Tilt |pages=105 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=H-E-AAAAYAAJ |
He produced the illustrations for ''The authors of England: A series of medallion portraits of modern literary characters, engraved from the works of British artists'' by [[Henry Fothergill Chorley]] from 1838: this work contains a ten page introduction outlining the new procédé of mechanically creating engravings from cameo's and medals, developed by Collas.<ref name=Chorley>{{cite book |title=The authors of England: A series of medallion portraits of modern literary characters, engraved from the works of British artists |last=Fothergill Chorley |first=Henry |year=1838 |publisher=Tilt |pages=105 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=H-E-AAAAYAAJ|accessdate=16 February 2011}}</ref> He developed this method between 1825 and 1832, demonstrating it at the [[Salon (Paris)|Salon]] of 1833. Using this procedure, he created the ''Trésor de numismatique et glyptique''.<ref>{{cite book |title=The portrait medallions of David d'Angers:an illustrated catalogue of David's contemporary and retrospective portraits in bronze |last=Reinis |first=J. G. |year=1999 |publisher=Polymath Press |isbn=9780937370018 |page=112 |pages=493 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=IgBuwN-_xqIC&pg=PA112&dq=%22Achille+Collas%22&hl=en&ei=hMpbTdfSO4bW4gay5JXDCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=%22Achille%20Collas%22&f=false |accessdate=16 February 2011}}</ref> When it was finished in 1850, it reproduced some 15,000 items, spread over 20 volumes.<ref>{{cite book |title=Art history through the camera's lens |last=Roberts |first=Helene E. |year=1995 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9782881246425 |page=63 |pages=415 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=CvwufF_QMaEC&pg=PA63&dq=%22Achille+Collas%22&hl=en&ei=nddbTf3JFMuB4Qaqod3RCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ6AEwADge#v=onepage&q=%22Achille%20Collas%22&f=false |accessdate=16 February 2011}}</ref> |
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His second great invention came in 1836, when he produced a [[pantograph]]-like machine to reproduce sculptures in different scales and materials.<ref name=Harper/> In 1838, he started a company together with [[Ferdinand Barbedienne]], the "Société Collas et Barbedienne", for the production and marketing of reduced copies of sculptures in different materials ranging from plaster and wood to bronze and ivory.<ref name=Barye>{{cite book |title=The founders and editors of the Barye bronzes |last=Renis |first=J. G. |coauthors=Antoine-Louis Barye |year=2007 |publisher=Polymath Press |isbn=9780937370025 |page=43 |pages=143 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Xr2iLWjkHqAC&pg=PA43&dq=%22Achille+Collas%22&hl=en&ei=hMpbTdfSO4bW4gay5JXDCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22Collas%22&f=false |accessdate=16 February 2011}}</ref> The first product of the company was a reproduction of the ''[[Venus of Milo]]'', but for the next ten years nothing much happened, until Barbedienne sent some pieces to [[The Great Exhibition]] of 1851, where the company received a special medal. Further success came in 1855, when Collas was awarded the Grand Médaille d'Honneur of the [[Exposition Universelle (1855)|Exposition Universelle]] in Paris.<ref name=Harper/> The company had by 1892, at the time of Barbedienne's death, some 600 employees. The company existed until 1954.<ref name=Barye/> |
His second great invention came in 1836, when he produced a [[pantograph]]-like machine to reproduce sculptures in different scales and materials.<ref name=Harper/> In 1838, he started a company together with [[Ferdinand Barbedienne]], the "Société Collas et Barbedienne", for the production and marketing of reduced copies of sculptures in different materials ranging from plaster and wood to bronze and ivory.<ref name=Barye>{{cite book |title=The founders and editors of the Barye bronzes |last=Renis |first=J. G. |coauthors=Antoine-Louis Barye |year=2007 |publisher=Polymath Press |isbn=9780937370025 |page=43 |pages=143 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Xr2iLWjkHqAC&pg=PA43&dq=%22Achille+Collas%22&hl=en&ei=hMpbTdfSO4bW4gay5JXDCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22Collas%22&f=false |accessdate=16 February 2011}}</ref> The first product of the company was a reproduction of the ''[[Venus of Milo]]'', but for the next ten years nothing much happened, until Barbedienne sent some pieces to [[The Great Exhibition]] of 1851, where the company received a special medal. Further success came in 1855, when Collas was awarded the Grand Médaille d'Honneur of the [[Exposition Universelle (1855)|Exposition Universelle]] in Paris.<ref name=Harper/> The company had by 1892, at the time of Barbedienne's death, some 600 employees. The company existed until 1954.<ref name=Barye/> |
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Revision as of 15:37, 20 February 2011
Achille Collas (1795 - 1859) was a French engineer, inventor, writer and engraver who developed a way of mechanically creating engravings after medallions and other reliefs, and a machine to copy sculptures at a smaller scale, the so-called "réduction méchanique", which popularized small sculptures and has been credited with being almost entirely responsible for "the transformation of the bronze industry".[1]
Achille Collas was born in Paris in 1795. He worked as an engineer before joining the Army at the end of the First French Empire. Afterwards he worked as a toolmaker and inventor. He never married. He applied for many patents, most of them for long-forgotten inventions for buckle-making machines and other tools. His most successful inventions had to do with the reproduction of 3D artworks in 2D and 3D.[1]
He produced the illustrations for The authors of England: A series of medallion portraits of modern literary characters, engraved from the works of British artists by Henry Fothergill Chorley from 1838: this work contains a ten page introduction outlining the new procédé of mechanically creating engravings from cameo's and medals, developed by Collas.[2] He developed this method between 1825 and 1832, demonstrating it at the Salon of 1833. Using this procedure, he created the Trésor de numismatique et glyptique.[3] When it was finished in 1850, it reproduced some 15,000 items, spread over 20 volumes.[4]
His second great invention came in 1836, when he produced a pantograph-like machine to reproduce sculptures in different scales and materials.[1] In 1838, he started a company together with Ferdinand Barbedienne, the "Société Collas et Barbedienne", for the production and marketing of reduced copies of sculptures in different materials ranging from plaster and wood to bronze and ivory.[5] The first product of the company was a reproduction of the Venus of Milo, but for the next ten years nothing much happened, until Barbedienne sent some pieces to The Great Exhibition of 1851, where the company received a special medal. Further success came in 1855, when Collas was awarded the Grand Médaille d'Honneur of the Exposition Universelle in Paris.[1] The company had by 1892, at the time of Barbedienne's death, some 600 employees. The company existed until 1954.[5]
Notes
- ^ a b c d Child, Theodore (1886). "Ferdinand Barbedienne. Artistic bronze". Harper's Magazine. 73 (436): 489–505. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- ^ Fothergill Chorley, Henry (1838). The authors of England: A series of medallion portraits of modern literary characters, engraved from the works of British artists. Tilt. p. 105. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- ^ Reinis, J. G. (1999). The portrait medallions of David d'Angers:an illustrated catalogue of David's contemporary and retrospective portraits in bronze. Polymath Press. p. 112. ISBN 9780937370018. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
{{cite book}}: More than one of|pages=and|page=specified (help) - ^ Roberts, Helene E. (1995). Art history through the camera's lens. Routledge. p. 63. ISBN 9782881246425. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
{{cite book}}: More than one of|pages=and|page=specified (help) - ^ a b Renis, J. G. (2007). The founders and editors of the Barye bronzes. Polymath Press. p. 43. ISBN 9780937370025. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
{{cite book}}: More than one of|pages=and|page=specified (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)
External links
- Biography at the Walter Scott Digital Archive, by the Edinburgh University Library