Pierre-Philippe Thomire : abundance, variety and beauty of bronze

Among the most notable names in the French bronze making history alongside Boulle, Cressent, de Saint Germain or Gouthière it seems natural to mention P.P Thomire.

Son of a embosser, he studied at the Saint Luc Academy and had the sculptors Pajou and Houdon as masters which would later explain why he always kept a strong relationship with sculpture and surrond himself with the best in this field. After being the student of Pierre Gouthière and becoming a bronze founder prior to becoming a bronze maker, he decided to found his own workshop in 1776.

Detail of a Monumental vase made for made for the Florentine house of Count Nicholas Demidoff.
Pedestal and mounts by Pierre Philippe Thomire
Russian malachite, composite filling material; gilt-bronze mounts; bronze pedestal
© MET Museum

Even if Thomire is mainly known for his work executed during the Empire period, one should not forget that he also had a large success a few years earlier under the king Louis XVI with the creation extraordinary pieces such as the large vase in porcelain created in collaboration with Boizot located today in Musée du Louvre.

During the revolution, Thomire had to stop his activity as a French bronze maker but after this crisis he renewed his style and adapted himself to the changing aspirations and tastes of the public contrary to many other French craftsmen who failed to bounce back from this event. The change of style didn’t alter the quality of his work and the execution, chiselling and gilding remained always precise.

Large vase from the Diane gallery at the Château de Saint-Cloud
Boizot, Louis Simon Boizot (Workshop of), Pierre Philippe Thomire, Sèvres Manufacture
© 2011 RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre) / Martine Beck-Coppola

During the Empire period, Thomire could fully express his strong passion for sculpture at a time where ornement figures such as dancers or caryatids where very popular. Facing a large demand under Napoleon’s regime, Thomire workshop grew exponentially and in 1806 it obtained the highest reward for a craftsman : the gold medal delivered by the Regime and attributed for the first time to a bronze maker.

However after this successfull period following the crown of the Emperor, wars would shortly bring difficult and unsecured times when supply exceeded the demand. After a few years, in 1809, the wedding of the Emperor brings back a prosperous period for his workshop and large orders from the Regime such as the « grand écrin » for Joséphine realized in collaboration with Jacob-Desmalter.

Detail of a bronze piece signed by Pierre Philippe Thomire “Thomire à Paris”

Before executing his bronze pieces, Thomire would prepare some drawings in his workshop and execute a wax or mud model he would later adjust. Once the model was adopted by the bronze maker, melting will be proceeded in order to create a sample bronze piece. Then the chiseler would work on this first sample, then on a second one in order to improve the curves and smallest details.

Jean Antoine Houdon and Pierre Philippe Thomire
Bronze Skinned Man standing with right arm raised (1776)
© 2021 Musée du Louvre / Hervé Lewandowski

We can assume that Thomire would himself chisel the bronze pieces for the most important and prestigious orders but, of course, the production in his workshop was so large that he couldn’t adjust all the pieces with his own hands . However he always acted as a maestro advising his employees.

Thomire received not only received orders from the French Empire but also from large lords in Europe such as Russia or English ones. Even after the downfall of the Empire, Thomire kepd good relationship with the new Regime which would order a few pieces from him.

1st French Empire important gilt-bronze and red marble clock, by P. P. Thomire et A.F Duterme.
© TAJAN

In 1823, at the age of 72, Thomire decided to retire. Even if his workshop remained active, the quality and abundance of the bronzes produced will never reach the level they had when the man himself was leading the workshop. He would die at the age of 92 years old in 1843 under Louis Phillippe.