Lot 54
54
A RUSSIAN NEOCLASSIC ORMOLU TWENTY-FOUR LIGHT CHANDELIER
A RUSSIAN NEOCLASSIC ORMOLU TWENTY-FOUR LIGHT CHANDELIER

EARLY 19TH CENTURY, POSSIBLY DESIGNED BY CARLO ROSSI

Details
A RUSSIAN NEOCLASSIC ORMOLU TWENTY-FOUR LIGHT CHANDELIER
early 19th Century, possibly designed by Carlo Rossi
With foliage-cast corona suspending four chains and a circlet issuing twinned scrolling foliate candle-arms and further individual candle-arms, the circlet cast with angels with trumpets and centering a further set of candle-arms with a cast putto, the domed base cast with laurel wreaths and stylized foliage and with a fruiting finial, fitted for electricity
57in. (145cm.) high, 38in. (97cm.) diameter
Provenance
Partridge (Fine Arts), London

Lot Essay

The high classicism of this finely cast chandelier reflects the fashion in Russia for Empire style in the first quarter of the 19th century. It was particularly well understood and realized by the great Italian-born Russian architect Carlo Rossi (1775-1849) during his work for such Imperial residences as the Mikhailovsky Palace (1819-1823) and the Winter Palace (1819-1825) in Saint Petersburg. An almost identical ormolu chandelier but with a figure of Mercury in the center and designed by Rossi during this period for Mikhailovsky Palace is illustrated in K.A. Soloviev, Russian Lighting Devices: XVIII-XIX, 1950, Moscow, ill. 220.