Wrought-iron works of art

Wrought iron work

Wrought-iron works of art

A large number of artists have put a lot of effort into working metal. Responding to the demands of public buildings, cathedrals, palaces, prestigious homes of the nobility or the wealthy bourgeoisie, they sometimes achieved fame. Spectacular works of wrought iron dating back to the Middle Ages can be seen on the western doors of Notre Dame de Paris. On these doors, the ironwork still acts as a reinforcement and a protection for the wood. We had to wait until the XVI century for the ironwork to free itself from being purely a support for wood.

During the reign of Louis XIII and above all under Louis XIV, French ironwork reached its highest level of excellence.

In 1788, Buffon had a gazebo constructed by the architect Verniquet in the King's Garden. This structure was almost certainly one of the first metal constructions in the world. It was mainly made from iron supplied by Buffon's Forges.