Claude Galle (1759-1815) is esteemed as one of the most accomplished French bronziers of the late Louis XVI and Empire periods. Born in 1759 in Villepreux, near Versailles, Galle began his career in Paris as an apprentice to the bronze caster Pierre Foy. In 1784, he married Foy’s daughter, and upon Foy’s death in 1788, Galle assumed control of the workshop. He moved to Quai de la Monnaie (later Quai de l’Unité), and then in 1805 to 9 Rue Vivienne. Under his leadership, the atelier flourished, eventually employing approximately 400 craftsmen and earning a reputation as one of Paris’s premier bronze workshops.
Galle achieved the status of maître-fondeur (master bronze caster) in 1786. He secured numerous prestigious commissions from the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne between 1786 and 1788, supplying finely crafted ormolu mounts and decorative bronzes for royal residences. His collaborations with eminent contemporaries, notably Pierre-Philippe Thomire, further solidified his standing in the decorative arts.
During the Empire period, Galle’s workshop was instrumental in furnishing the Château de Fontainebleau with a significant portion of its decorative bronzes. His creations also adorned other imperial palaces, including Saint-Cloud, the Trianons, the Tuileries, Compiègne, and Rambouillet. His work extended beyond France, supplying exquisite bronzework to Italian palaces such as Monte Cavallo in Rome and Stupinigi near Turin.
Despite his professional success, Galle faced financial difficulties, partly due to his lavish lifestyle and the failure of some clients, including Prince Joseph Bonaparte, to settle their debts. These challenges persisted throughout his career, leading him to seek assistance from the French government in 1811.
Galle passed away in 1815, after which his son, Gérard-Jean Galle (1788–1846), continued the family business. Today, Claude Galle’s works are held in high esteem and can be found in prominent museum collections worldwide, including the Musée National du Château de Malmaison, the Musée Marmottan in Paris, the Museo de Relojes in Jerez de la Frontera, the Residenz in Munich, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Explore our collection of Empire mantel clocks , Empire candelabra and candlesticks and other decorative art objects by Claude Galle and his contemporaries in our gallery.
