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Lot Essay
Characteristic of the ‘genre pittoresque’ of the 1730s and 40s, these precious wall lights have the distinctive feature of a stylised lyre motif to the backplate surmounted by an eagle. An identical pair was sold from the Alexander Collection, Christie’s New York, 30 April 1999, lot 110. Two similar pairs of wall lights are known to exist with some variation to the shape of the lyre and the rendering of the bird (Christie’s New York, 6/18 November 1999, lot 632 and Tajan, Paris, 12th June 2003, lot 20). The branches of the present examples have elongated rockwork issuing from leaf scrolls, and unusual nozzles which are pierced and have ‘C’ shaped rocaille motifs.
The eagle which surmounts the asymmetrically-cast centreplates, appears in the oeuvre of the prominent woodcarver and ornamental designer Nicolas Pineau (1648-1754). Following his return from Russia in 1721, Pineau produced several designs featuring prominent eagles, such as the monumental console table attributed to him at the Louvre, and his drawing for a gilt bronze lantern topped by a double headed eagle at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (P. Verlet, Les Bronzes Dores Francais du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1987, p. 240). A further related design for a wall-light by Pineau of circa 1740, shows an openwork tapering backplate, double scroll branches edged with rockwork, which was executed in gilt bronze by Jacques Caffieri (d. 1755) (H. Ottomeyer, P. Proschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol I, fig. 2.11.8). A group of related wall-lights, each vigorously chased and following a profuse and exaggerated rocaille design (H. Ottomeyer and P. Proschel, op. cit., pp. 138-139), was supplied to the Elector Karl Albrecht of Bavaria (d. 1745) as part of his extensive purchases in Paris of luxurious lacquer and marquetry furniture and bronzes d’ ameublement. Particularly noteworthy is the group of furniture by Bernard Van Risenburgh which consists of three lacquer and two kingwood commodes, a kingwood bureau plat, two marquetry corner cupboards and a lacquer desk at the Residenz in Munich, all delivered to the Elector in the 1730s (B. Langer, Die Möbel der Residenz München, vol. I, Die französischen Möbel des 18. Jahrhunderts, Munich-New York 1995, nos. 15-20). These costly purchases were followed by various others until the Elector’s death in 1745, including various models of wall-lights similar to the present example.
The eagle which surmounts the asymmetrically-cast centreplates, appears in the oeuvre of the prominent woodcarver and ornamental designer Nicolas Pineau (1648-1754). Following his return from Russia in 1721, Pineau produced several designs featuring prominent eagles, such as the monumental console table attributed to him at the Louvre, and his drawing for a gilt bronze lantern topped by a double headed eagle at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (P. Verlet, Les Bronzes Dores Francais du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1987, p. 240). A further related design for a wall-light by Pineau of circa 1740, shows an openwork tapering backplate, double scroll branches edged with rockwork, which was executed in gilt bronze by Jacques Caffieri (d. 1755) (H. Ottomeyer, P. Proschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol I, fig. 2.11.8). A group of related wall-lights, each vigorously chased and following a profuse and exaggerated rocaille design (H. Ottomeyer and P. Proschel, op. cit., pp. 138-139), was supplied to the Elector Karl Albrecht of Bavaria (d. 1745) as part of his extensive purchases in Paris of luxurious lacquer and marquetry furniture and bronzes d’ ameublement. Particularly noteworthy is the group of furniture by Bernard Van Risenburgh which consists of three lacquer and two kingwood commodes, a kingwood bureau plat, two marquetry corner cupboards and a lacquer desk at the Residenz in Munich, all delivered to the Elector in the 1730s (B. Langer, Die Möbel der Residenz München, vol. I, Die französischen Möbel des 18. Jahrhunderts, Munich-New York 1995, nos. 15-20). These costly purchases were followed by various others until the Elector’s death in 1745, including various models of wall-lights similar to the present example.