The Fonderie Rudier was a foundry based in Paris, France. It was established by Alexis Rudier in 1874 for the production of small objects in precious metals and bronze. After Alexis’s death in 1897, the business was run by his widow and his son Eugène Rudier (1875–1952).

Under Eugène, the foundry cast large bronzes, specialising in sand casting, continuing to sign works ‘Alexis RUDIER Fondeur PARIS’. It went on to become one of the leading bronze foundries in Paris, casting the works of Auguste Rodin for many years and working with other notable sculptors, including Antoine Bourdelle, Gustave Miklos, Aristide Maillol and Honoré Daumier. After Eugène’s death in 1952, the foundry closed and, according to his instructions, the archives and moulds were destroyed.

In 1950-51, the Fonderie Rudier cast Family Group 1948-49 (LH 269) for Henry Moore. Although one cast of this work had been made by the firm of R. Fiorini & J. Carney in London, Moore found they had struggled with the size of the work and instead commissioned the Fonderie Rudier, then a well-established founder of large bronzes, to make a further 3 casts and an artist’s copy.

For more information, see:
https://histoire-vesinet.org/fondeur-rudier.htm
https://histoire-vesinet.org/saga_rudier.htm
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/henry-moore/henry-moore-om-ch-family-group-r1172198