.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
A pair of candlesticks of this model was included in the sale of the marquis de Marigny and de Menars, brother of Madame de Pompadour, in March 1782:- 'Une autre paire de flambeaux, dont le corps est en bronze et représente, l'un une femme montée sur un dauphin, l'autre un satyre et un tigre. Les pieds et les bobeèches sont en cuivre doré.'
These candlesticks are a variant of the celebrated model by Corneille van Clève (1646-1732), the original drawings for which, traditionally given to Charles Le Brun but now thought to be by van Clève himself, are held in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. This model was probably first executed in 1702 in silver-gilt by van Clève's brother-in-law, the goldsmith Nicolas de Launay for the bedroom of Louis XIV at Versailles:- 'six grands flambeaux d'argent vermeil doré representans par le corps un homme nud assis sur un balustre....et portant sur son Epaule un Enfant tenant sur sa teste la bobeche le tout pozé sur un pied rond, cizelé dessus de godrons creux tornans....' The recent attribution is supported by 18th century sale catalogues, who give this model to van Cleve both in the Randon de Boisset sale of 27 February-25 March 1777, lot 266, as well as in the De Luc sale of 22-23 December 1777, lot 16. A pair of Louis XIV ormolu candlesticks of that model is in the Wallace Collection and is discussed in detail in P. Hughes, The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Furniture II, London, 1996, F. 30-31, nos. 232-233.
These candlesticks are a variant of the celebrated model by Corneille van Clève (1646-1732), the original drawings for which, traditionally given to Charles Le Brun but now thought to be by van Clève himself, are held in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. This model was probably first executed in 1702 in silver-gilt by van Clève's brother-in-law, the goldsmith Nicolas de Launay for the bedroom of Louis XIV at Versailles:- 'six grands flambeaux d'argent vermeil doré representans par le corps un homme nud assis sur un balustre....et portant sur son Epaule un Enfant tenant sur sa teste la bobeche le tout pozé sur un pied rond, cizelé dessus de godrons creux tornans....' The recent attribution is supported by 18th century sale catalogues, who give this model to van Cleve both in the Randon de Boisset sale of 27 February-25 March 1777, lot 266, as well as in the De Luc sale of 22-23 December 1777, lot 16. A pair of Louis XIV ormolu candlesticks of that model is in the Wallace Collection and is discussed in detail in P. Hughes, The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Furniture II, London, 1996, F. 30-31, nos. 232-233.