All bronze artworks bear a mark of the foundry , the artist’s signature, the year of the model’s edition and the number indicating the number of copies of the edition (however, certain old bronze art pieces are not numbered). If none of these elements appear, it is probably a regular or a brass sculpture. To be sure, you must scratch under the sculpture, if the color is silver-gray, it is a regular sculpture. If it is yellow, it is a brass. If it is yellow-copper, it is a bronze.
The complexity of the fabrication process, based on the lost wax bronze technique, to which we add the cost of the bronze, makes the work of art more expensive than a sculpture in resin or steel or other materials. Contrary to what one might think, the smaller the piece, the more complicated it is to make which in turn affects the selling price. The price also varies according to the complexity of the shape of the sculpture. In other words, two pieces of art of the same size may not fall under the the same price range. Similarly, if a work seems to be twice as small as another, its price may not necessarily be halved. The price also depends on the quantity produced.
Bronze does not break like marble, glass or clay. It does not burn like paintings. However, depending on the complexity of the piece, some elements may break, due to poor handling or other factors. It is quite possible to repair them, which brings us to the question of whether it is possible to restore a bronze sculpture.
On an average, it takes a whole month. It takes the longest time to make the first model. The next step of creating the mold is a lengthy process due to the drying time needed between the different layers.
A bronze sculpture can be displayed outdoors, although it will require maintenance more regularly than it would indoors. Indeed, the protective wax layer will be used more often because of the bad weather and will disappear more quickly than indoors. It will be necessary to clean it twice a year and to re-apply a layer of protective wax.
If no maintenance is done, the patina will gradually fade exposing the bronze which in turn will oxidize and take on a greenish-gray color (like all sculptures in public places) which can also add a different kind of charm.
We can also restore patinas on outdoor sculptures that cannot be transported.
Bronze sculptures are coated with a protective wax. All you have to do is clean them with a soft microfiber cloth. If you want to restore their shine, you will have to rub harder so that the wax regains its shine.
For the polished parts (the bronze is bare, without any protection), with time they will oxidize; so it is necessary to clean them with a product that is used for shining copper (only on the polished parts), without touching the patina, otherwise the patina will fade.
For any order, you just have to send us an email with the name of the desired sculpture so that we can inform you about the price, the availability (in stock, in re-manufacturing or finished edition). Then we offer different options of payment, a) for individuals, b) for companies, otherwise depending on the amount it is possible to make a payment in 3 installments without fees.
It all depends on the type of customization and the material of the sculpture. If it is a bronze : you could to choose a patina color in case it needs to be reproduced.
If it is a steel or resin artwork: you would only need to provide us with the desired RAL reference and we will inform you of the possibilities. A steel sculpture is treated with a baked epoxy paint. In the case of a resin sculpture, the painting is done by a professional body painter.
Please refer to the “Lost Wax Bronze Technique” section.
The color of a sculpture in bronze is not obtained by painting but by a chemical process (the patina). In fact, when is bronze, an acid is applied to it which accelerates the oxidation of the bronze. The color varies according to the acid applied. For this reason, we cannot find a wide range of colors as in the case of resin/steel sculptures. The chemical reaction is also enhanced by the air. It is, therefore, impossible to make 2 identical patinas.
The unique piece, U.P., indicates that only one copy has been made. The VAT rate is 5.5%.
For the original bronze sculpture, the legislation dating back to 1967, specifies that the maximum number of sculptures in bronze produced after the same model must not exceed 12 copies, of which 4 are artist’s proofs (8 copies numbered from 1/8 to 8/8 and 4 artist’s proofs numbered A.P. I/IV to A.P. IV/IV). The VAT rate is again 5.5%.
When the artist decides to make more than 12 copies, it is a bronze edition. Here, the VAT rate increases up to 20%.
Each work of art is signed, numbered and delivered with a certificate of authenticity along with an invoice.
When an artist wishes to sell his sculpture, he can call upon a publisher who will take care of the financing of the production of the bronze sculptures. The publisher will make 8 copies and 4 artist’s proofs. The 8 copies numbered from 1 to 8 will be for the publisher, the 4 artist’s proofs are given to the artist as payment. The artist may sell these copies.
Yes, the artworks have the same value. However, some collectors prefer to collect the numbered pieces in artist’s proofs.
Bronze is timeless. The value of a bronze artwork depends on the number of copies that were created. If it is a series of 100 or 1000 copies, the value can decrease. For original pieces, it is advisable to assume that there are a maximum of 12 copies in the world, if the 12 copies have been created. In fact, the artist makes copies as they are sold.
If you have accidentally dropped a sculpture, or if something has fallen on it; if you have used an abrasive product to clean it or if an object has scratched the sculpture, it is quite possible to repair it and to redo the patina, etc. In order to do so, simply send us photos of the damaged or broken parts by mail, so that we can give you an estimate of the cost of repair and provide all the information necessary for transporting the sculpture back to our workshop for the repair work.
