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Lot Essay
These unusual wall lights can confidently be attributed to the workshop of François Rémond. Thanks to his ledgers covering the period between 1779 and 1787, which survive at the Archives Nationales in Paris, this model can be first dated to 10 November 1785. In total, twenty-three pairs at 108 livres each were supplied to the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre between 1785 and 1787. They appeared indistinctively recorded as bras plaque or bras plateau, and a variant featured chains suspended from the gallery. Amongst the patrons purchasing this model was Bonnefoy-Duplan, head of the Queen's Garde-Meuble, who bought six pairs with bobèches riches et découpures ajustées de chaines, poires et oeufs, from Daguerre on November 22, 1785 for Marie-Antoinette's hameau.
This model of wall-light was sold to several important clients prior to Rémond's first reference to wall-lights of this form: for four pairs, described as with deux lumières, dont les bobèches sont posées sur des plaques décorées de mirzas, de chaînes et de perles, dorées d'or moulu, à raison de 120 livres par paire, were commissioned by the intendant du Garde-Meuble Jean Hauré and delivered on 28 October 1784 by the fondeur Blondelet for Marie-Antoinette's petits appartements at Versailles. Moreover, a pair was also ordered at the same time by Madame de Ville d'Avray for her bedroom at the hôtel du Garde-Meuble, where she resided with her husband Thierry de Ville d'Avray, also intendant du Garde-Meuble. According to Verlet, however, these could have been supplied by Rémond through Daguerre, see P. Verlet, Les Bronzes Dorés Français du XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1987, p. 90, no. 97. A pair of wall lights of this model was sold Christie's, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 159. A pair identical to the present wall lights in the London collection of Mrs. Wrightsman was sold Sotheby's, New York, 28 April 2010, lot 154 ($50,000). Another identical pair, also was sold in these rooms from The Private Collection of Jayne Wrightsman, 14 October 2020, lot 76 ($106,250).
This model of wall-light was sold to several important clients prior to Rémond's first reference to wall-lights of this form: for four pairs, described as with deux lumières, dont les bobèches sont posées sur des plaques décorées de mirzas, de chaînes et de perles, dorées d'or moulu, à raison de 120 livres par paire, were commissioned by the intendant du Garde-Meuble Jean Hauré and delivered on 28 October 1784 by the fondeur Blondelet for Marie-Antoinette's petits appartements at Versailles. Moreover, a pair was also ordered at the same time by Madame de Ville d'Avray for her bedroom at the hôtel du Garde-Meuble, where she resided with her husband Thierry de Ville d'Avray, also intendant du Garde-Meuble. According to Verlet, however, these could have been supplied by Rémond through Daguerre, see P. Verlet, Les Bronzes Dorés Français du XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1987, p. 90, no. 97. A pair of wall lights of this model was sold Christie's, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 159. A pair identical to the present wall lights in the London collection of Mrs. Wrightsman was sold Sotheby's, New York, 28 April 2010, lot 154 ($50,000). Another identical pair, also was sold in these rooms from The Private Collection of Jayne Wrightsman, 14 October 2020, lot 76 ($106,250).