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Lot Essay
The authorship for this model of candelabra can be firmly given to the ciseleur-doreur François Rémond. Probably first mentioned in 1783 when Rémond supplied the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre with a pair of candelabra à trépied portant huit Lumières Et six sphinx, at the huge cost of 5,000 livres - this covered not only the cost of casting and chasing the candelabra, but also of casting and chasing the main models which were then to remain the property of Daguerre. Further examples but with blue porcelain bodies were supplied by Rémond to Daguerre on 8 November 1784 for 4,500 Livres, on 6 September 1785 at 5,000 livres and again in December 1785 and October 1786. This model of candelabra is thus evidently one that belonged to Daguerre, of which the first examples were retailed between 1783-86. Whilst their execution was probably entrusted to Rémond, theoretically Daguerre could equally well have sub-contracted out the chef-modèle to another bronzier.
The comte de Vaudreuil's sale in Paris, 26 November 1787, recorded a pair of eight-light candelabra of the Daguerre model as lot 375: 'Deux Girandoles à huit bobèches, en forme de trépied, dont les branches ornées en haut de têtes de bélier, soutiennant un vase en porcelaine bleu de Roi, garni de culots et quilles enveloppés d'un serpent; trois sphinx aîlés soutiennant ce trépied & posent sur une plinthe ornée de draperie & de deux masques d'Apollon; la tige de genre arabesque est ornée de guirlandes en chaînons & perles, & les bobèches offrent des branches de pavots.....Hauteur 34 pouces...'.
Recorded candelabra of this model with marble bodies comprise:- a pair in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, which have onyx bodies; a pair with white marble in the Henry J. Huntington Museum, Pasadena, California; and a pair in the Wallace Collection, London, discussed in P.J.Hughes, The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Furniture II, London, 1996, no.248 (F130-1).
The Wildenstein Candelabra, which are mercury gilded beneath a later electro-gilding, display chasing techniques, a heaviness of cast and numbering consistent with the period 1800-25. This may well reflect the fact that the chef-modèle was either still available in a bronziers' atelier, or that it was resold at that time - like so many of the chefs-modèles in the Feuchère sale of 1829. Interestingly, the Demidoff's owned a further pair of candelabra of a related design, which were sold as lot 1536 in the 1880 sale. These latter examples had an Obiculaire di Corse marble body.
As Rémond died after Daguerre in 1812 and these candelabra date fro m the 1820's, the chef-modèle must have been passed on or sold to another marchand or fondeur.
THE VILLA SAN DONATO
These princely candelabra were almost certainly acquired by Nicolas Demidoff in Paris in the 1820s, before being sent to furnish the newly-constructed Palace of San Donato outside Florence. Demidoff was already commissioning new works of art in Paris earlier, including the famous Demidoff Service purchased from Odiot between 1817 and 1820. That he was buying objects and furniture from the ancien régime is testified to by the magnificent Queen Hortense suite of lacquer furniture by Riesener, which he acquired in the Maelrondt sale in Paris, 15 November 1824, lots 306, 307, 308 (sold from the Ojjeh Collection, Christie's Monaco, 11 December 1999, lot 35).
The heir of a rich family whose fortune derived from their vast mining interests, foundries and land holdings in the Ural mountains, Nicolas Demidoff was born in St. Petersburg in 1773. He had a successful military career from an early age and in 1794 he was made a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He married into the Stroganoff family and developed mines and ironworks on his own lands. When Napoleon invaded Russia, he raised his own regiment and fought at the battle of Borodino. The young Nicolas was already in Paris by 1802, when he rented the hôtel Montholon, and gave a ball for which all Paris turned out par ses normes dipenses.
In 1811, he rented the hôtel de Montesson before returning to Russia. Remarkably his collection of paintings survived the burning of Moscow and he donated them to Moscow University. In 1815, he left Russia finally for Paris and his house became the centre for leading figures in the academic and literary world. After the death of his wife in 1818, he travelled to Italy and laid the foundations for his legendary Villa at San Donato, near Florence. To furnish the latter, he embarked on a voracious buying spree for the very best pictures, furniture and objets d'art that became available on the market.
On his death in 1828, his son Anatole inherited the collection and he divided his time equally between Paris and San Donato. At San Donato, he continued to make improvements and ultimately achieved an almost Oriental sense of luxury in the lavish interiors, a sense of which is given by the watercolours now at the Palazzo Pitti, Florence.
Prince Anatole's passion for Bonaparte led to his marriage on 1 November 1840 to Princesse Mathilde, daughter of King Jêrome and niece of Napoleon. After the reunification of Italy, Demidoff left Florence and returned to Paris where he organised a first sale of treasures from San Donato in 1863. From 21 February to 28 April 1870, furniture and objects from fourteen of the principal rooms at San Donato were also sold in Paris. Finally, ten years later in 1880, San Donato was definitively stripped of its treasures in the legendary sale.
The comte de Vaudreuil's sale in Paris, 26 November 1787, recorded a pair of eight-light candelabra of the Daguerre model as lot 375: 'Deux Girandoles à huit bobèches, en forme de trépied, dont les branches ornées en haut de têtes de bélier, soutiennant un vase en porcelaine bleu de Roi, garni de culots et quilles enveloppés d'un serpent; trois sphinx aîlés soutiennant ce trépied & posent sur une plinthe ornée de draperie & de deux masques d'Apollon; la tige de genre arabesque est ornée de guirlandes en chaînons & perles, & les bobèches offrent des branches de pavots.....Hauteur 34 pouces...'.
Recorded candelabra of this model with marble bodies comprise:- a pair in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, which have onyx bodies; a pair with white marble in the Henry J. Huntington Museum, Pasadena, California; and a pair in the Wallace Collection, London, discussed in P.J.Hughes, The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Furniture II, London, 1996, no.248 (F130-1).
The Wildenstein Candelabra, which are mercury gilded beneath a later electro-gilding, display chasing techniques, a heaviness of cast and numbering consistent with the period 1800-25. This may well reflect the fact that the chef-modèle was either still available in a bronziers' atelier, or that it was resold at that time - like so many of the chefs-modèles in the Feuchère sale of 1829. Interestingly, the Demidoff's owned a further pair of candelabra of a related design, which were sold as lot 1536 in the 1880 sale. These latter examples had an Obiculaire di Corse marble body.
As Rémond died after Daguerre in 1812 and these candelabra date fro m the 1820's, the chef-modèle must have been passed on or sold to another marchand or fondeur.
THE VILLA SAN DONATO
These princely candelabra were almost certainly acquired by Nicolas Demidoff in Paris in the 1820s, before being sent to furnish the newly-constructed Palace of San Donato outside Florence. Demidoff was already commissioning new works of art in Paris earlier, including the famous Demidoff Service purchased from Odiot between 1817 and 1820. That he was buying objects and furniture from the ancien régime is testified to by the magnificent Queen Hortense suite of lacquer furniture by Riesener, which he acquired in the Maelrondt sale in Paris, 15 November 1824, lots 306, 307, 308 (sold from the Ojjeh Collection, Christie's Monaco, 11 December 1999, lot 35).
The heir of a rich family whose fortune derived from their vast mining interests, foundries and land holdings in the Ural mountains, Nicolas Demidoff was born in St. Petersburg in 1773. He had a successful military career from an early age and in 1794 he was made a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He married into the Stroganoff family and developed mines and ironworks on his own lands. When Napoleon invaded Russia, he raised his own regiment and fought at the battle of Borodino. The young Nicolas was already in Paris by 1802, when he rented the hôtel Montholon, and gave a ball for which all Paris turned out par ses normes dipenses.
In 1811, he rented the hôtel de Montesson before returning to Russia. Remarkably his collection of paintings survived the burning of Moscow and he donated them to Moscow University. In 1815, he left Russia finally for Paris and his house became the centre for leading figures in the academic and literary world. After the death of his wife in 1818, he travelled to Italy and laid the foundations for his legendary Villa at San Donato, near Florence. To furnish the latter, he embarked on a voracious buying spree for the very best pictures, furniture and objets d'art that became available on the market.
On his death in 1828, his son Anatole inherited the collection and he divided his time equally between Paris and San Donato. At San Donato, he continued to make improvements and ultimately achieved an almost Oriental sense of luxury in the lavish interiors, a sense of which is given by the watercolours now at the Palazzo Pitti, Florence.
Prince Anatole's passion for Bonaparte led to his marriage on 1 November 1840 to Princesse Mathilde, daughter of King Jêrome and niece of Napoleon. After the reunification of Italy, Demidoff left Florence and returned to Paris where he organised a first sale of treasures from San Donato in 1863. From 21 February to 28 April 1870, furniture and objects from fourteen of the principal rooms at San Donato were also sold in Paris. Finally, ten years later in 1880, San Donato was definitively stripped of its treasures in the legendary sale.