A French silver centrepiece

Franois-Dsir (1802-1855) was the son of a goldsmith, first training in his stepfather's workshop until 1818 and then in that of the chaser Langlet. He came to prominence at the Paris industrial exhibition of 1839, when he was made Argentier de la Ville de Paris. His work at the 1844 exhibition established him as the leading silversmith in France, and subsequently the number of his workmen increased from twenty-five to eighty. He generally aimed at the revival of Mannerist virtuosity, preferring the Renaissance to Gothic, which brought him the nickname of Benvenuto Cellini.

The second Empire heralded a new change in stylistic tastes with Napoleon III adopting a socio-economic attitude to the luxury industries and therefore favouring a more 'industrial' silver. Franois-Dsir persisted in producing Mannerist style silver but was cut short in his career, dying at the height of his fame in 1855. On his death, the business was taken over by his son Emile (1837-1913), who continued to produce works in the same style until late in the century when Art Nouveau came into fashion.