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Lot Essay
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
Alvar Gonzàles-Palacios, Il Tempio del Gusto, Milano, 1986, Vol I, p. 136; Vol. II, p. 123, pl. 265.
Alvar Gonzàles-Palacios, L'oro di Valadier, Un genio nella Roma del Settecento, Catalogue of the Exhibition at the Accademia di Francia di Roma, Villa Medici, 29 Gennaio-8 Aprile 1997, p. 129, cat. 27 and l. XXIII.
The design for this candelabrum, executed by Giuseppe Valadier and dated 1795, is part of the Tatham Collection of drawings at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The date on the drawing coincides with Charles H. Tatham's stay in Rome, from 1794 to 1797, during which he likely purchased the design. Tatham served as architect of the church and published works on architecture and decoration.
The finely chased leaf-tips and delicate foliate swags on this candelabrum are characteristic of the Valadier style. Similar quality mounts can be found on a pair of Italian Neoclassic ormolu mounted white marble urns, sold Christie's New York, 19 March 1998, lot 170. A pair of three branch candleabra with similar undulating J-form candlearms, attributed to Valadier sold Christie's London, 2 December 1998, lot 69.
Luigi Valadier (1726-1785) was the most celebrated Roman metalworker of his period, numbering among his clients the Borghese, Chigi and Braschi-Onesti families, for whom he supplied finely crafted objects in a number of different fields including bronzes, furniture and pietre duri. His son Giuseppe (1762-1839) concentrated more on architectural commissions, but also supplied furniture to Pope Pius VI, Duke Luigi Braschi Onesti and Prince Camillo Borghese.
Alvar Gonzàles-Palacios, Il Tempio del Gusto, Milano, 1986, Vol I, p. 136; Vol. II, p. 123, pl. 265.
Alvar Gonzàles-Palacios, L'oro di Valadier, Un genio nella Roma del Settecento, Catalogue of the Exhibition at the Accademia di Francia di Roma, Villa Medici, 29 Gennaio-8 Aprile 1997, p. 129, cat. 27 and l. XXIII.
The design for this candelabrum, executed by Giuseppe Valadier and dated 1795, is part of the Tatham Collection of drawings at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The date on the drawing coincides with Charles H. Tatham's stay in Rome, from 1794 to 1797, during which he likely purchased the design. Tatham served as architect of the church and published works on architecture and decoration.
The finely chased leaf-tips and delicate foliate swags on this candelabrum are characteristic of the Valadier style. Similar quality mounts can be found on a pair of Italian Neoclassic ormolu mounted white marble urns, sold Christie's New York, 19 March 1998, lot 170. A pair of three branch candleabra with similar undulating J-form candlearms, attributed to Valadier sold Christie's London, 2 December 1998, lot 69.
Luigi Valadier (1726-1785) was the most celebrated Roman metalworker of his period, numbering among his clients the Borghese, Chigi and Braschi-Onesti families, for whom he supplied finely crafted objects in a number of different fields including bronzes, furniture and pietre duri. His son Giuseppe (1762-1839) concentrated more on architectural commissions, but also supplied furniture to Pope Pius VI, Duke Luigi Braschi Onesti and Prince Camillo Borghese.