Lot Essay
Pierre Gouthière (1732-1814?), the most celebrated doreur ciseleur of his time, maître in 1758, doreur seul ordinaire des Menus in 1767.
One of a pair of candlesticks of this striking model bears Gouthière's signature on its base - GOUTHIER, siceleur et doreur du Roy (sold Bondu, Nouveau Drouot, Paris, 11 June 1986) and while discussing this candlestick Verlet refers to other examples signed Goutier ciseleur doreur quai Peltier (P. Verlet, Les Bronzes Dorés Français du XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1987, fig. 227). It is probably a reference to the set of four exhibited in Paris at the Exposition du Cabinet de l'Amateur, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 1956, one of which was signed Gouttier, siseclur, doreur du Roy, quay Peltier (information kindly given by M. Christian Baulez). It is therefore reasonable to assume that Gouthière was responsible for chasing and gilding this group of candlsticks and certainly the evidence of the exceptional quality of both on this pair confirms the attribution.
All the other examples (including a pair originally from the collection of the Duc de Talleyrand at the château de Valencay, sold Sotheby's Monaco, 23 February 1986, lot 905) have bands of Greek key ornament encircling the nozzles, which on these candlesticks is replaced by entrelac-and-rosette. Similar decoration is found on the socles of a pair of ewers signed by gouthière and dated 1767 (P. Verlet, op. cit., figs. 235 and 277); Gouthière supplied another pair of ewers of this model in white marble in 1770 to Madame du Barry as part of a garniture centred by a brûle parfum (C. Baulez, 'Pierre Gouthière', Vergoldete Bronzen, vol. II, Munich, 1986, figs. 3 and 4 and p.632).
A drawing of a candlestick (with the Greek key ornament) of this model in Boulton and Forthergill's Pattern Book I, p.41 has always prompted the suggestion that at least some of these candlesticks may in fact be of English rather than French origin. (N. Goodison, Ormolu: The Work of Matthew Boulton, London, 1974, pp.101-2 and 236). There are several examples in English collections such as the set of four at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire (illustrated in situ on a bureau plat and cartonnier by Montigny and a commode by Weisweiler in A. Pradère, French Furniture Makers, London, 1989, p.304). A pair of candelabra with stems following this pattern was sold at Christie's London, 19 June 1980, lot 5 by the executors of the late Countess of Sefton and now in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. They are almost certainly identifiable as one of the two pairs of lion-faced candlesticks bought by the 1st Earl of Sefton at Christie's sale of Boulton and Fothergill's stock (11-13 April 1771) and so are the only examples that can be considered as Boulton's work without reservation. Close comparison between these candlesticks and the Sefton candelabra (by king permission of the Walker Art Gallery) reveals to an unexpected degree the considerable difference between the extraordinarily accomplished and precise finish of the French pair enhanced by the lavish gilding contrasted with the much less defined craftsmanship of the English pair which are also slightly smaller. Boulton may have seen similar lion-mask candlesticks on his visit to Paris in 1765 (although this would set an early date for the model) - alternatively he could have been working from a pair that had been acquired in Paris by an English Millord or he could have been sent a sketch by his agent in Paris. In any case some of the discrepancies in quality are undoubtedly due to the fact that they were working from a drawing rather than an actual example and whatever the sources were for the Pattern Book drawing it seems clear that the model is entirely French in origin and that Boulton was merely using an established pattern for reproduction in gilt-bronze and silver.
One of a pair of candlesticks of this striking model bears Gouthière's signature on its base - GOUTHIER, siceleur et doreur du Roy (sold Bondu, Nouveau Drouot, Paris, 11 June 1986) and while discussing this candlestick Verlet refers to other examples signed Goutier ciseleur doreur quai Peltier (P. Verlet, Les Bronzes Dorés Français du XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1987, fig. 227). It is probably a reference to the set of four exhibited in Paris at the Exposition du Cabinet de l'Amateur, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 1956, one of which was signed Gouttier, siseclur, doreur du Roy, quay Peltier (information kindly given by M. Christian Baulez). It is therefore reasonable to assume that Gouthière was responsible for chasing and gilding this group of candlsticks and certainly the evidence of the exceptional quality of both on this pair confirms the attribution.
All the other examples (including a pair originally from the collection of the Duc de Talleyrand at the château de Valencay, sold Sotheby's Monaco, 23 February 1986, lot 905) have bands of Greek key ornament encircling the nozzles, which on these candlesticks is replaced by entrelac-and-rosette. Similar decoration is found on the socles of a pair of ewers signed by gouthière and dated 1767 (P. Verlet, op. cit., figs. 235 and 277); Gouthière supplied another pair of ewers of this model in white marble in 1770 to Madame du Barry as part of a garniture centred by a brûle parfum (C. Baulez, 'Pierre Gouthière', Vergoldete Bronzen, vol. II, Munich, 1986, figs. 3 and 4 and p.632).
A drawing of a candlestick (with the Greek key ornament) of this model in Boulton and Forthergill's Pattern Book I, p.41 has always prompted the suggestion that at least some of these candlesticks may in fact be of English rather than French origin. (N. Goodison, Ormolu: The Work of Matthew Boulton, London, 1974, pp.101-2 and 236). There are several examples in English collections such as the set of four at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire (illustrated in situ on a bureau plat and cartonnier by Montigny and a commode by Weisweiler in A. Pradère, French Furniture Makers, London, 1989, p.304). A pair of candelabra with stems following this pattern was sold at Christie's London, 19 June 1980, lot 5 by the executors of the late Countess of Sefton and now in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. They are almost certainly identifiable as one of the two pairs of lion-faced candlesticks bought by the 1st Earl of Sefton at Christie's sale of Boulton and Fothergill's stock (11-13 April 1771) and so are the only examples that can be considered as Boulton's work without reservation. Close comparison between these candlesticks and the Sefton candelabra (by king permission of the Walker Art Gallery) reveals to an unexpected degree the considerable difference between the extraordinarily accomplished and precise finish of the French pair enhanced by the lavish gilding contrasted with the much less defined craftsmanship of the English pair which are also slightly smaller. Boulton may have seen similar lion-mask candlesticks on his visit to Paris in 1765 (although this would set an early date for the model) - alternatively he could have been working from a pair that had been acquired in Paris by an English Millord or he could have been sent a sketch by his agent in Paris. In any case some of the discrepancies in quality are undoubtedly due to the fact that they were working from a drawing rather than an actual example and whatever the sources were for the Pattern Book drawing it seems clear that the model is entirely French in origin and that Boulton was merely using an established pattern for reproduction in gilt-bronze and silver.