Lot Essay
This model of candelabra with their distinctive Egyptian caryatid candle-branches can be attributed on stylistic grounds to François Rémond (1745/47-1812), maître in 1774, one of the foremost bronziers of his time in Paris and the chief supplier of ormolu to the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre. His deliveries between February 1778 and August 1792 amounted to approximately 920,000 livres. Other important clients of Rémond included the Comte d'Artois, for whom commissions included the Cabinet Turc at Versailles, the Duc de Penthièvre, the Princesse de Lamballe and the Princesse Kinsky, whose commissions for the Hotel Kinsky, Paris, are discussed by Christian Baulez in 'Le Luminaire de la Princesse Kinsky', L'Estampille L'Objet D'art, May 1991, pp.84-99
The design of the bases of the candelabra is attributed to Jean-Demosthène Dugourc on the basis of a signed drawing in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs dated 1790 for a console table with its garniture (H. Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel et. al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, p.287, fig. 4.15.6.). The inscription executé par Gouthière has always been taken as the basis for attributing this model to Gouthière although it is not clear whether the reference is intended for the console table or all or part of the garniture. It would however appear that the model is recorded prior to 1790, on the basis of a number sold from the collection of the Comte de Vaudreuil, Paris, 26 January 1787, and that it represents Dugourc egyptianising the type of Grecian caryatid candlesticks made by Robert-Joseph Auguste around 1767 (cf. a pair in the Metropolitan Museum, New York).
Rémond appears to have benefited from the decline in Gouthière's fortunes, culminating in the closure of the latter's workshop in 1787 and his bankrupty. The recent discovery of a large part of Rémond's records has enabled much that was formerly attributed to Gouthière to be reattributed to him.
A number of other candelabra of this model are recorded. The earliest are those sold from the collection of the Comte de Vaudreuil as stated above. That sale included a pair of candelabra of the same model as this lot and four pairs of candlesticks of the same model as the base section of this lot. A pair of very similar candelabras, formerly in the collection of Sir Richard Wallace, were sold Sotheby's Monaco, 14-15 June 1981, lot 75. It is interesting to note that there is a pair of candlesticks of the same model as the base section still in the Wallace Collection (F. Watson, Furniture, London, 1956, F174). Another pair of candelabra, but lacking the Egyptian sphinx branches, were sold from the Collection of the late Thelma Chrysler Foy, Parke-Bernet New York, 22-23 May 1959, Part II, lot 665.
The design of the bases of the candelabra is attributed to Jean-Demosthène Dugourc on the basis of a signed drawing in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs dated 1790 for a console table with its garniture (H. Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel et. al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, p.287, fig. 4.15.6.). The inscription executé par Gouthière has always been taken as the basis for attributing this model to Gouthière although it is not clear whether the reference is intended for the console table or all or part of the garniture. It would however appear that the model is recorded prior to 1790, on the basis of a number sold from the collection of the Comte de Vaudreuil, Paris, 26 January 1787, and that it represents Dugourc egyptianising the type of Grecian caryatid candlesticks made by Robert-Joseph Auguste around 1767 (cf. a pair in the Metropolitan Museum, New York).
Rémond appears to have benefited from the decline in Gouthière's fortunes, culminating in the closure of the latter's workshop in 1787 and his bankrupty. The recent discovery of a large part of Rémond's records has enabled much that was formerly attributed to Gouthière to be reattributed to him.
A number of other candelabra of this model are recorded. The earliest are those sold from the collection of the Comte de Vaudreuil as stated above. That sale included a pair of candelabra of the same model as this lot and four pairs of candlesticks of the same model as the base section of this lot. A pair of very similar candelabras, formerly in the collection of Sir Richard Wallace, were sold Sotheby's Monaco, 14-15 June 1981, lot 75. It is interesting to note that there is a pair of candlesticks of the same model as the base section still in the Wallace Collection (F. Watson, Furniture, London, 1956, F174). Another pair of candelabra, but lacking the Egyptian sphinx branches, were sold from the Collection of the late Thelma Chrysler Foy, Parke-Bernet New York, 22-23 May 1959, Part II, lot 665.