EARLY 18TH CENTURY, IN THE MANNER OF CHARLES CRESSENT

With their fine sculptural back-plates with winged putti holding branches, these elegant wall-lights are superb examples of precious gilt bronzes d’ameublement of the Régence period. The design was probably inspired by an engraving by Gille-Marie Oppenord (d. 1742), which is illustrated in the Oeuvres de Gille Marie Oppenord ... contenant différents fragments d'architecture, et d'ornements, Paris, circa 1725, vol. VI, plate CV. Closely related ‘enfant-terme’ wall lights in the Louvre, featuring a similar tapering boss with crossed garlands. They were possibly executed by Charles Cressent, maître-sculpteur in 1714. Cressent (1685-1768) ran one of the most important workshops in Paris between 1719 and 1757. Son of the sculpteur du Roi, François Cressent, he trained as a sculptor and was elected maître-sculpteur of the Saint-Luc Académie on August 14, 1714. In 1719, Cressent married the widow of the cabinet-maker Joseph Poitou, and thus gained access to the cabinet-making trade. Shortly after, he was appointed ébéniste ordinaire des palais de SAR Monseigneur le Duc d'Orleans, Régent du royaume.