la galerie

Founded in 1986, the Univers du Bronze Gallery mainly exhibits bronzes by major sculptors of the last two centuries, with a predilection for The Golden Age 1830-1930. The artists exhibited include Barye, Fratin, Mêne, Carpeaux, Rodin, Bourdelle, Bugatti and Pompon. Michel Poletti and Alain Richarme have worked to promote this art for over twenty-three years. They have published several reference books.By the diversity and the quality of its collections, exhibitions in major international Art Fairs and reference books, Univers du Bronze, directed by Michel Poletti and Alain Richarme, is the one of the first Sculpture Gallery in Europe and in the World, for 19th, 20th centuries and contemporaries.

michel poletti

Titular of a Literature and Arts Degree from the Sorbonne Nouvelle, he has published short stories and articles about sculpture in different newspapers and magazines. He is co-author of several catalogues raisonnés, including the one about A.-L. Barye, published by Gallimard in 2000. He also wrote a biography about Barye (Acatos, 2002) and Carpeaux (Gourcuff Gradenigo, 2012).

michel poletti

alain richarme

After scientific studies at Paris VI University, Alain Richarme gave up at 23 years old a Ph. D. about Nuclear Physics at the CEA Saclay to concentrate on Art and its market, his great passion.
He is the coauthor with Michel Poletti of several catalogues about Barye, Fratin, Righetti… and 4 reference books (Barye, Busato, Carpeaux et Mêne).
He gave lectures at the SNA, the INHA ("Un Siècle d’or du bronze (1830-1930)", "Fonte au sable, cire perdue", "Le bronze au XXe siècle", "Pompon", "Artiste et praticien"…), and was professor for several art market Institutes (IESA, EAC).
Member for more than 20 years of the most important vettings for european fairs, he is since 2012 expert for the Court of Appeal in Paris (bronzes et ferronneries).

alain richarme

yannick bapt

Yannick Bapt holds a master's degree in law and a Ph. D in Art History on the three generations of eighteenth-century cabinetmakers: B.V.R.B. He taught French and lectured in Art History for a year at Sarah Lawrence College, New York. After working as an auctioneer's clerk, he joined UDB’s team. Over the last thirty years, he has taken part in numerous exhibitions, fairs and had the privilege of working with Michel Poletti and Alain Richarme on the catalogues raisonnés of Barye and Mêne.

yannick bapt

charline bessiere

Charline Bessiere joined the UDB team in 2016 as Gallery collaborator. Titular of a Ph. D. about the florentine sculptor Romolo Ferrucci del Tadda (1545-1621), she keeps in parallel her dealer activities at the Gallery with an academic career as Post Ph. D. and Renaissance Art Historian in the International Research Team Histara (PSL-EPHE). Taking part in international lectures and symposiums, she links constantly the realities of the current modern sculpture market with the possibilities offered by scientific and provenance researches.

charline bessiere

laurent belloni

Laurent Belloni, born 1969, is restorer for the Gallery and sculptor. He has studied 6 years bronze techniques and has been graduated as chiseller and bronze mounter. He has worked for 6 years in several studios for the Maison Susse founder, in Paris. He exhibited hiw own works in France and Belgium from 1995 and took part the sculpture carving symposiums in Liban in 2001 and in Bahrein in 2003.

laurent belloni