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Lot Essay
This pair of wall-lights with their finely-chased foliate surround and prominent repoussé figures of cherubs relate to the oeuvre of the celebrated ciseleur-doreur Pierre Gouthière (1732-c.1813). There are eight examples of the original model recorded, featuring portrait medallions of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI under closed crowns and indicate the model was almost certainly delivered for one of the French Royal residences.
The backplates of the present wall-lights are centered by classically-draped winged putti, each modeled with one arm raised above his head, the other holding the drapery. They echo a remarkable design by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 - 1778) featuring a related figure holding aloft a wreathed clock case, above a chimneypiece. This 'Etruscan' design was produced in Rome in 1769 for a chimney-piece executed for John Hope (reproduced in J. Wilton-Ely, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the Complete Etchings, vol. II, San Francisco, 1994, p. 896, fig. 823).
The naturalistic lily branches issuing from the figural plaques relate closely to those on plaster models of candelabra exhibited by Etienne-Maurice Falconet (1716-1791), director of the sculpture studio at Sèvres from 1759 to 1766, at the Salon du Louvre in 1761. Intended to be cast in silver, the plaster models were based on an earlier drawing depicting draped nymphs by Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (ill. H. Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel, et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, p. 254, fig. 4.7.1). A pair possibly by Gouthière, circa 1785, and almost certainly supplied for one of the French Royal residences were sold Christie's, London, 7 July 2022, lot 17. Another pair attributed to Gouthière, circa 1785, in the Riahi collection were sold Christie's, London, 6 December 2012, lot 4.
The backplates of the present wall-lights are centered by classically-draped winged putti, each modeled with one arm raised above his head, the other holding the drapery. They echo a remarkable design by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 - 1778) featuring a related figure holding aloft a wreathed clock case, above a chimneypiece. This 'Etruscan' design was produced in Rome in 1769 for a chimney-piece executed for John Hope (reproduced in J. Wilton-Ely, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the Complete Etchings, vol. II, San Francisco, 1994, p. 896, fig. 823).
The naturalistic lily branches issuing from the figural plaques relate closely to those on plaster models of candelabra exhibited by Etienne-Maurice Falconet (1716-1791), director of the sculpture studio at Sèvres from 1759 to 1766, at the Salon du Louvre in 1761. Intended to be cast in silver, the plaster models were based on an earlier drawing depicting draped nymphs by Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (ill. H. Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel, et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, p. 254, fig. 4.7.1). A pair possibly by Gouthière, circa 1785, and almost certainly supplied for one of the French Royal residences were sold Christie's, London, 7 July 2022, lot 17. Another pair attributed to Gouthière, circa 1785, in the Riahi collection were sold Christie's, London, 6 December 2012, lot 4.