The ironwork is the art and the technique of the work of iron to the forging mill, the stamp or the hammer. The works of ironwork are carried out by a Ferronnier. It produces objects and architectural ornaments in Wrought iron: balconies, grids, slopes, or objects of Article the ironwork constituted the natural decorative prolongation of the buildings of all the époques.
At the same time with the improvement of the techniques of extraction of iron, the ironwork, lighter and more resistant, replaced stone or wood protections which made safe the buildings.

She experienced a very significant development at the 19th century with the appearance of the Fonderie and the diffusion of industrial models of moulded ironwork.

Various types of ironwork

Popular ironwork

The popular ironwork recovers the production of the local craftsmen, generally marshal-shoeing, who had of average the techniques - forging mill and Enclume - and the knowledge to make to work iron.

This rustic production, with primarily utility vocation, is still found in the rural buildings. The most advanced models, with decorative tendency, were produced with small scales to embellish the houses of notable or the fronts commercial.

In these artisanal works the volutes are turned on gauges, their ends are rolled or hammered hot; they are assembled by riveting or welding the forge. The assembly are sometimes consolidated and masked by a lead collar run in a dismountable mould directly on the grid.

Industrial ironwork

Appeared at the 19th century, the industrial ironwork will go hand in hand with the extension of the foundries and the price drops which will result from it. It will give place to a broad catalog of standard castings intended for the balconies and grids of the residences bourgeoises.
This model of habitat, imported city, will be diffused in the middle of the 19th century until the bottom of the French campaigns, being integrated into the traditional rural settlement in all the peasants who had the means of them. Balconies and rambardes out of iron moulded, grids of entry and gates monumental on catalog will thus replace the utility wrought iron of the local blacksmiths.

Ironwork of art

A certain number of artists were invested in the work of metal. Carried by the request of the public edifices, cathedrals, palates, residences of prestige of the nobility or the upper middle classes, they will know sometimes the notoriété.
Spectacular work of ironwork dating from the Middle Ages is visible on the western doors of Our-Lady-of-Paris. On these doors, the ironwork remains still a reinforcement and a protection of wood. The 16th century will have to be waited so that the ironwork frees from the support of the bois.
Under Louis XIII and especially under the reign of Louis XIV, the French ironwork will reach more the high level of excellence. England of the 17th century will know of sound with dimensions a strong development of the ironwork following the arrival of the ironworker Jean Tijou. This French craftsman protesting, who had fled his country like many his companions following the revocation of the edict of Nantes in 1685, gained the confidence of William III. One owes him the multitude of grids of the palate of Hampton Court.
The Roccoco style, appeared at the end of the 18th century, will start again the interest for the ironwork by imposing new technical challenges to the craftsmen. The grids of the Place Stanislas with Nancy, realized by Jean Lamour, are an example of these productions.
Dependant on the passion for the decorative Art nouveau and arts, the ironwork of art will know in France and Belgium a spectacular revival in the last part of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century. The style Art nouveau will exploit the possibilities of the foundry to develop ironwork with vegetable reason which will spread public gardens at the Parisian entries of subway.

Famous artists and craftsmen ironworkers

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