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Lot Essay
The bold Greek-key motif and the classically-inspired ribbon-tied wreaths on the base mounts of these wonderful candelabra reflect the goût grec, the earliest and most avant-garde phase of French Neoclassicism. The fashionable, although short-lived, goût grec style developed in the 1750s, in part as a reaction to the excesses of the rocaille, promoted by influential designers including Louis-Joseph Le Lorrain, Charles de Wailly and Jacques-François Blondel. The style was further fueled by the writings of Charles-Nicolas Cochin (d. 1790) who, upon his return from Italy, published influential articles lamenting the overuse of rocaille decoration. Writing in 1763, Baron de Grimm observed: '...tout est à Paris à la grecque', an indication that the taste had spread well beyond the circle of a small group of patrons and collectors.
With their organic, realistic modeling, the branches of these candelabra are still in the spirit of the Rococo. The nozzles and the berried drip-pans are particularly naturalistic and can be found on other high-Rococo ormolu objects, such as a pair of wall-lights sold Christie's, New York, 17 April 2024, lot 158. Although unquestionably Rococo, the arrangement of the arms of these candelabra is in line with the aesthetics of its later expression, rocaille symmétrisé which, coupled with the branches' robust proportions, is well-matched with the restrained Neoclassicism of the base, creating a harmonious transitional piece between the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles.
In July 1735, Kändler modeled life-size models of parrots for the King’s Japanese Palace in Dresden(1). Although there is no mention in the work reports of further parrots being modeled until 1740, models of parrots in three different sizes were recorded among the porcelain in the Dresden stockroom in 1737, which were ready for delivery to Count Brühl(2). In 1740, Kändler modeled further parrots in May, June and the August-October period. All three of the entries in his work report record that they were destined for ‘Mons. Huiet’, the French marchand-mercier Jean-Charles Huet, indicating that there was a considerable demand in France for Meissen parrots mounted in ormolu. The first entry for May 1740 reads: Einen Pappagoy in Thon poussiret grosse Sorte Vor Mons. Huiet. Das solcher gegen den ehemals Von mir gefertigeten Pappagoy siehet [modeled a large parrot in clay for Monsieur Huet. Such a parrot should be compared to the one I previously made](3).
1. See Samuel Wittwer, The Gallery of Meissen Animals, Munich, 2004, pp. 346-347.
2. ‘1 Pappageÿ gross / 3 ditto mittl. / 1 D. kleiner’ [1 parrot large / 3 ditto medium size / 1 ditto small], cited by Gerhard Röbbig, Kabinettstücke, Amira-Palais, Munich, October-November 2008 Exhibition Catalogue, Munich, 2008, p. 123.
3. Ulrich Pietsch, Die Arbeitsberichte des Meissener Porzellanmodelleurs, Johann Joachim Kaendler, Leipzig, 2002, p. 70.
With their organic, realistic modeling, the branches of these candelabra are still in the spirit of the Rococo. The nozzles and the berried drip-pans are particularly naturalistic and can be found on other high-Rococo ormolu objects, such as a pair of wall-lights sold Christie's, New York, 17 April 2024, lot 158. Although unquestionably Rococo, the arrangement of the arms of these candelabra is in line with the aesthetics of its later expression, rocaille symmétrisé which, coupled with the branches' robust proportions, is well-matched with the restrained Neoclassicism of the base, creating a harmonious transitional piece between the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles.
In July 1735, Kändler modeled life-size models of parrots for the King’s Japanese Palace in Dresden(1). Although there is no mention in the work reports of further parrots being modeled until 1740, models of parrots in three different sizes were recorded among the porcelain in the Dresden stockroom in 1737, which were ready for delivery to Count Brühl(2). In 1740, Kändler modeled further parrots in May, June and the August-October period. All three of the entries in his work report record that they were destined for ‘Mons. Huiet’, the French marchand-mercier Jean-Charles Huet, indicating that there was a considerable demand in France for Meissen parrots mounted in ormolu. The first entry for May 1740 reads: Einen Pappagoy in Thon poussiret grosse Sorte Vor Mons. Huiet. Das solcher gegen den ehemals Von mir gefertigeten Pappagoy siehet [modeled a large parrot in clay for Monsieur Huet. Such a parrot should be compared to the one I previously made](3).
1. See Samuel Wittwer, The Gallery of Meissen Animals, Munich, 2004, pp. 346-347.
2. ‘1 Pappageÿ gross / 3 ditto mittl. / 1 D. kleiner’ [1 parrot large / 3 ditto medium size / 1 ditto small], cited by Gerhard Röbbig, Kabinettstücke, Amira-Palais, Munich, October-November 2008 Exhibition Catalogue, Munich, 2008, p. 123.
3. Ulrich Pietsch, Die Arbeitsberichte des Meissener Porzellanmodelleurs, Johann Joachim Kaendler, Leipzig, 2002, p. 70.