Claude Galle

Claude Galle (1759-1815) was a French bronze worker known and recognized during his lifetime as one of the best craftsmen of his time.  Received as Master in 1786, he quickly became one of the suppliers of the Garde-Meuble of the Crown and saw his pieces integrated into the Petit Trianon. But it is especially under the Empire that he knows a real success. He received orders for the imperial residences of Compiègne, Fontainebleau and Saint-Cloud. His workshop, located on rue du Faubourg Saint-Germain, rue Vivienne, was one of the main production sites for gilded bronzes in the Empire Style, sometimes counting up to 400 employees, dedicated to the production of clocks and furniture frames. This success did not prevent him from having financial setbacks, leaving him to die in total destitution.