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Lot Essay
These wall lights were based on a model by Louis-Gabriel Féloix. Attribution to this fondeur rests on a number of deliveries recorded in the ledgers of the Garde-Meuble in 1787. Féloix, who collaborated with a number of important dealers such as the marchand-fondeur Quentin-Claude Pitoin, delivered several sets to the Garde-Meuble in that year, the first intended for Madame Adélaïde's bedroom at Versailles: Ordre 80 du 19 mars 1787...Féloix fournira pour Madame Adélaïde à Versailles 3 paires de bras à trois branches, dessin arabesque, conforme au modèle présenté à Madame Adélaïde...', whilst the second was hung in Marie-Antoinette's bedroom at Saint-Cloud: 'Mémoire d'Ouvrage de bronze faite (sic) et fourny à Monsieur Horé pour le Garde-Meuble de la Couronne par Félois, fondeur-doreur. Pour le service de la Reine à Saint-Clous, le 6 9bre. Savoir: Avoir fait et livré deux paires de bras à teste d'aigle et guirlandes de fleurs, preste à estre doré, destiné pour la chambre à coucher de la Reine à St Clous, à raison de onze cent livre la paire, fait pour les deux paires la somme de 2,200l. A fourth pair appears to have been cast and delivered along with the other three, but this was intended to remain in the Garde-Meuble (Ordre du 80 du 19 mars 1787 Féloix fournira...Une paire idem, pour rester en magasin).
A number of sets or pairs of wall-lights of identical design are recorded. Of these, a pair originally from the Russian Imperial Collections, was subsequently sold in 1928 from the collections of the St. Petersburg museums, see R. Lepke, Berlin, 6-7 November, 1928, lot 134-5). Other examples, possibly duplicating each other in this list, include a pair sold anonymously at Parke Bernet, New York, 5-6 November 1954, lot 51; a pair in the possession of G. Geoffroy in 1958; a pair with French & Co. in 1973; a pair sold anonymously at Christie's, Monaco, 18 June 1989, lot 37; and a further example discussed by Partridge in Recent acquisitions 1993, London, p. 68, no. 28; a pair, complete with the upper thyrsus section from the collection of the Comtesse Alexandre de Casteja, was sold at Sotheby's, Monaco, 3 May 1977, lot 5; finally, a pair sold Christie’s, New York, 20 May 2008, lot 351.
A number of sets or pairs of wall-lights of identical design are recorded. Of these, a pair originally from the Russian Imperial Collections, was subsequently sold in 1928 from the collections of the St. Petersburg museums, see R. Lepke, Berlin, 6-7 November, 1928, lot 134-5). Other examples, possibly duplicating each other in this list, include a pair sold anonymously at Parke Bernet, New York, 5-6 November 1954, lot 51; a pair in the possession of G. Geoffroy in 1958; a pair with French & Co. in 1973; a pair sold anonymously at Christie's, Monaco, 18 June 1989, lot 37; and a further example discussed by Partridge in Recent acquisitions 1993, London, p. 68, no. 28; a pair, complete with the upper thyrsus section from the collection of the Comtesse Alexandre de Casteja, was sold at Sotheby's, Monaco, 3 May 1977, lot 5; finally, a pair sold Christie’s, New York, 20 May 2008, lot 351.