LATE 18TH CENTURY

Details

A PAIR OF LOUIS XVI ORMOLU, PATINATED BRONZE AND MARBLE THREE-LIGHT CANDELABRA
Late 18th century
Each with a pair of scantily draped maidens holding aloft a bunch of lilies and roses with flowerhead shaped nozzles, above a garlanded circular white and blue Turquin marble base with egg-and-dart and beaded borders and a square plinth, the base possibly originally with further rim
39 in. (99 cm.) high (2)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

The design of the draped nymphs on our candelabra refer to a design of 1761 by Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (see H.Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol.I, p.254, fig4.7.1). The design depicts two pairs of plaster models of figures supporting candelabra which were exhibited at the Salon du Louvre in 1761 by Etienne-Maurice Falconet (1716-1791), Director of the Sculpture studio at Sèvres (1759-1766). He refers to them as 'Deux Grouppes de femmes en platre. Ce sont des Chandeliers pour être exècutés en argent. Ils ont deux pieds six pouces de haut chacun.' They were in fact originally intended to be cast by the orfèvre François-Thomas Germain.

A number of similar examples follow Falconet's design, such as the three-light lilly candelabra supported by draped nymphs which is conserved in the Royal Castle in Warsaw (SZM 407/3-4) (ibid. p.254, fig.4.7.3).

An identical pair to the present examples was sold anonymously, Galrie Charpentier, Paris, 9-10 March 1956, lot 136.

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