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ATTRIBUÉE À JACQUES CAFFIERI, LIVRÉE À LOUISE-ÉLISABETH DE FRANCE POUR LE PALAIS DE COLORNO, VERS 1750
细节
PAIRE D'APPLIQUES ROYALES D'ÉPOQUE LOUIS XV
ATTRIBUÉE À JACQUES CAFFIERI, LIVRÉE À LOUISE-ÉLISABETH DE FRANCE POUR LE PALAIS DE COLORNO, VERS 1750
En bronze ciselé et doré, à trois bras de lumière en enroulements feuillagés et volutes ajourées en concrétions rocailles, portant chacun une marque 'C.899.1' et 'C.899.2' sur un enroulement central
H. 72 cm. (28 1⁄3 in.) ; L. 60 cm. (23 ½ in.)
ATTRIBUÉE À JACQUES CAFFIERI, LIVRÉE À LOUISE-ÉLISABETH DE FRANCE POUR LE PALAIS DE COLORNO, VERS 1750
En bronze ciselé et doré, à trois bras de lumière en enroulements feuillagés et volutes ajourées en concrétions rocailles, portant chacun une marque 'C.899.1' et 'C.899.2' sur un enroulement central
H. 72 cm. (28 1⁄3 in.) ; L. 60 cm. (23 ½ in.)
来源
Acquis par Madame Louise-Elisabeth (1727-1759), Madame l'Infante, Duchesse de Parme, vers 1752-1753, pour le Palais de Colorno ;
Palais de Colorno, jusqu'à la fin des années 1850 ;
Galerie Marcel Bissey, Paris ; acquis entre le 22 et le 30 juin 1950 par
Doña Graziella Patiño de Ortiz Linares (1900-1980) et Son Excellence Don Jorge Ortiz Linares (1894-1965) ;
Puis par descendance.
Palais de Colorno, jusqu'à la fin des années 1850 ;
Galerie Marcel Bissey, Paris ; acquis entre le 22 et le 30 juin 1950 par
Doña Graziella Patiño de Ortiz Linares (1900-1980) et Son Excellence Don Jorge Ortiz Linares (1894-1965) ;
Puis par descendance.
出版
Bibliographie comparative :
Cat. exp. Paris, Hôtel de la Monnaie, Louis XV, Un moment de perfection dans l'art français, Paris, 1974, cat. 436.
C. Bremer-David, Decorative Arts. An illustrated summary catalogue of the Collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 1993, no. 1993, p. 103.
A. González-Palacios, Il patrimonio artistico del Quirinale: gli arredi francesi, Rome, 1995, pp. 245-246.
O. Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Tome I, München, 1999, p. 140.
D. Alcouffe, A. Dion-Tenenbaum, G. Mabille, Les Bronzes d'ameublement du Louvre, Dijon, 2004, pp. 54-55.
J. Durand, M. Bimbenet-Privat, F. Dassas, M. Bascou, D. Brouzet, Décors, mobilier et objets d'art du musée du Louvre, Paris, 2014, p. 287, p. 287, cat. 99.
Cat. exp. Paris, Hôtel de la Monnaie, Louis XV, Un moment de perfection dans l'art français, Paris, 1974, cat. 436.
C. Bremer-David, Decorative Arts. An illustrated summary catalogue of the Collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 1993, no. 1993, p. 103.
A. González-Palacios, Il patrimonio artistico del Quirinale: gli arredi francesi, Rome, 1995, pp. 245-246.
O. Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Tome I, München, 1999, p. 140.
D. Alcouffe, A. Dion-Tenenbaum, G. Mabille, Les Bronzes d'ameublement du Louvre, Dijon, 2004, pp. 54-55.
J. Durand, M. Bimbenet-Privat, F. Dassas, M. Bascou, D. Brouzet, Décors, mobilier et objets d'art du musée du Louvre, Paris, 2014, p. 287, p. 287, cat. 99.
更多详情
A PAIR OF ROYAL LOUIS XV ORMOLU THREE-LIGHT WALL-LIGHTS, ATTRIBUTED TO JACQUES CAFFIERI, DELIVERED TO LOUISE-ELISABETH OF FRANCE FOR THE COLORNO PALACE, CIRCA 1750
Following the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, Louise Élisabeth of France (1727-1759), eldest daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczynska, and her husband Philip of Spain were granted the Duchy of Parma, where they settled the following year. The new Duchess immediately undertook the refurbishment of the Palazzo di Colorno and, over the course of the next decade, no fewer than forty-three convoys laden with works of art and luxury furnishings were dispatched there from Paris. It was in this context that the present pair of wall-lights, attributed to the renowned "Sculpteur, Fondeur et Ciseleur du Roi" Jacques Caffieri (1678–1755), arrived in Parma, most probably during the year 1753.
The Palace of Colorno: the Duchess of Parma's "Petit Versailles"
Born alongside her twin sister Madame Henriette, Louise Élisabeth of France was reputedly Louis XV's favourite daughter. In 1739, she married Philip of Spain and left Versailles with great reluctance for the court of Madrid. Following the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748), which allied France and Spain, the Duchies of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla were granted to Philip by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. The young couple took possession of their new territories at the end of October 1749. For almost a decade, Madame Infante worked tirelessly to elevate Parma to the level of Versailles. To this day, the Palace of Colorno is still known as the "Petit Versailles of the Dukes of Parma".
During her visits to France in 1748, 1753 and 1759, she developed close ties with Madame de Pompadour, whose influence proved decisive in her choices regarding both lifestyle and furnishing. Numerous Parisian craftsmen were brought to Parma under the direction of Boudard and Petitot, including Michel Poncet, Marc Vibert, Nicolas Yon, and the upholsterers Petrus and Philippe Marnet. Parisian menuisiers also contributed to the furnishing of the ducal palace, among them Avisse, Jean Boucault, Michel Cresson, Jean-Baptiste Tilliard and, naturally, Nicolas-Quinibert Foliot, whose magnificent ceremonial furniture included armchairs now preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. 07.225.57), and the State Hermitage Museum.
Although Louise Élisabeth frequently purchased directly from the marchand-mercier Lazare Duvaux, much like Madame de Pompadour, it was Jacques Caffieri who received the most important commissions for Colorno. The present pair of wall-lights forms part of a significant group of works supplied by the bronzier between 1750 and 1753, including two chandeliers now preserved in the Wallace Collection (inv. F83 and F84). One of these, signed by Caffieri and dated 1751, had originally been commissioned by Louis XV for his personal use before being gifted to his daughter for the Palace of Colorno. Like that chandelier, the present pair of wall-lights may likewise have been originally ordered by Louis XV before being presented to the Infanta for her residence in Parma.
Also belonging to this group were two closely related two-light wall-lights now in the Musée du Louvre (inv. OA 10410 and OA 10411) (fig. 2), together with a similar pair sold at Christie’s, 29 October 2025, lot 138. Further comparable examples include a pair sold at Sotheby’s Paris, 14 May 2014, lot 156; a pair of candelabra with closely related branches sold at Artcurial, 16 June 2022, lot 19; and another pair sold at Christie’s Amsterdam, 13 December 2012, lot 78.
Four three-light wall-lights now preserved at the J. Paul Getty Museum (inv. 84.DF.41) are also recorded in Caffieri’s posthumous inventory of 1755 and were intended for delivery to the Palace of Parma. Comparable to the present pair through the pronounced movement of their scrolling branches with particularly forceful counter-curves, they also share virtually identical drip-pans and nozzles formed as acanthus leaves punctuated by a subtle asymmetry. A particularly closely related pair of two-light wall sconces also appears in the background of a portrait of the Infanta Louise Élisabeth's daughter, Marie Louise of Parma, painted by Laurent Pécheux in 1765 (fig. 1), as well as in the background of the portrait of the Duke of Parma, executed by the same artist that same year, suggesting that the owners of the Palace of Colorno were particularly attached to their interior decoration.
Among the furnishings delivered to Colorno during this period, fourteen other highly comparable wall-lights are today preserved at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, along with much of the Duchess's former furnishings. The resemblance between the present pair and one pair in particular, numbered 'C*R 1119.1' and 'C*R 1119.2', is striking. Their three branches follow precisely the same movement, the foliage climbing their stems displays the same subtleties, and their nozzles reproduce exactly the same unfolding acanthus leaves. Unlike the "C" mark found on our wall lights, the "C*R" mark, standing for Casa Reale, specifically refers to the inventory of the Ducal Palace of Parma, the principal urban residence, rather than to the Colorno estate alone. This pair almost certainly derives from the same master model as the present examples, a design which Caffieri endlessly reinterpreted through subtle variations.
All of these wall-lights bear inventory numbers corresponding to different inventory campaigns undertaken at the Palace of Colorno. Some feature a number preceded by a "C", applied during an inventory of 1855, such as the present pair, respectively marked "C.899.1" and "C.899.2". Others bear the initials "D.C." for "Dotazione della Corona d'Italia", added following Italian unification in 1861. The absence of this administrative mark on the present pair suggests that they left the Palace of Colorno between 1855 and 1861.
Between Abstraction and Figuration: Caffieri at the Pinnacle of His Art
These wall-lights were conceived within the pittoresque style disseminated through the designs of Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier and Nicolas Pineau. This aesthetic concept celebrated natural forms worthy of representation through their exceptional, curious, colourful or exotic appearance. It found expression in sinuous compositions animated by abundant curves, giving rise to genuine ornamental caprices. The royal privilege granted to Jacques Caffieri around 1715 exempted him from many guild restrictions; simultaneously sculptor, bronze founder and chaser, he enjoyed a remarkable freedom of invention. What he achieved in the early 1750s, at the apex of his career, was a remarkable balance between the realism of natural foliage and the abstraction of movement.
To the naturalism of his chasing, which records every vein and fold of the acanthus leaf, Caffieri imposed an abstraction of form, a perfection of curve and counter-curve that idealised and surpassed nature itself. Every upward movement on one side is immediately balanced by a downward accent on the other, while every elongated or regular form is subtly disrupted by a controlled asymmetry.
This brilliance of movement, this mastery of counterpoint and dissonance combined with a perfect balance of proportions, may also be observed in a pair of wall-lights sold at Christie’s New York, 2 November 2000, lot 7. They share with the present pair a characteristic feature of Caffieri's late oeuvre, developed in particular in the years preceding his death in 1755: a series of pierced egg-and-dart motifs running through portions of the foliage. These frises à oves percés are specifically mentioned in his posthumous inventory and recur on several works supplied for the Duchess of Parma's palace, including the two chandeliers now preserved in the Wallace Collection.
A rare survival from the daily life of Princess Louise Élisabeth at the Palace of Colorno, and a discreet symbol of the influence of the French court abroad, the present pair of wall-lights remains a superb testimony to the artistic achievement of the greatest bronzier of his age.
Following the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, Louise Élisabeth of France (1727-1759), eldest daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczynska, and her husband Philip of Spain were granted the Duchy of Parma, where they settled the following year. The new Duchess immediately undertook the refurbishment of the Palazzo di Colorno and, over the course of the next decade, no fewer than forty-three convoys laden with works of art and luxury furnishings were dispatched there from Paris. It was in this context that the present pair of wall-lights, attributed to the renowned "Sculpteur, Fondeur et Ciseleur du Roi" Jacques Caffieri (1678–1755), arrived in Parma, most probably during the year 1753.
The Palace of Colorno: the Duchess of Parma's "Petit Versailles"
Born alongside her twin sister Madame Henriette, Louise Élisabeth of France was reputedly Louis XV's favourite daughter. In 1739, she married Philip of Spain and left Versailles with great reluctance for the court of Madrid. Following the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748), which allied France and Spain, the Duchies of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla were granted to Philip by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. The young couple took possession of their new territories at the end of October 1749. For almost a decade, Madame Infante worked tirelessly to elevate Parma to the level of Versailles. To this day, the Palace of Colorno is still known as the "Petit Versailles of the Dukes of Parma".
During her visits to France in 1748, 1753 and 1759, she developed close ties with Madame de Pompadour, whose influence proved decisive in her choices regarding both lifestyle and furnishing. Numerous Parisian craftsmen were brought to Parma under the direction of Boudard and Petitot, including Michel Poncet, Marc Vibert, Nicolas Yon, and the upholsterers Petrus and Philippe Marnet. Parisian menuisiers also contributed to the furnishing of the ducal palace, among them Avisse, Jean Boucault, Michel Cresson, Jean-Baptiste Tilliard and, naturally, Nicolas-Quinibert Foliot, whose magnificent ceremonial furniture included armchairs now preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. 07.225.57), and the State Hermitage Museum.
Although Louise Élisabeth frequently purchased directly from the marchand-mercier Lazare Duvaux, much like Madame de Pompadour, it was Jacques Caffieri who received the most important commissions for Colorno. The present pair of wall-lights forms part of a significant group of works supplied by the bronzier between 1750 and 1753, including two chandeliers now preserved in the Wallace Collection (inv. F83 and F84). One of these, signed by Caffieri and dated 1751, had originally been commissioned by Louis XV for his personal use before being gifted to his daughter for the Palace of Colorno. Like that chandelier, the present pair of wall-lights may likewise have been originally ordered by Louis XV before being presented to the Infanta for her residence in Parma.
Also belonging to this group were two closely related two-light wall-lights now in the Musée du Louvre (inv. OA 10410 and OA 10411) (fig. 2), together with a similar pair sold at Christie’s, 29 October 2025, lot 138. Further comparable examples include a pair sold at Sotheby’s Paris, 14 May 2014, lot 156; a pair of candelabra with closely related branches sold at Artcurial, 16 June 2022, lot 19; and another pair sold at Christie’s Amsterdam, 13 December 2012, lot 78.
Four three-light wall-lights now preserved at the J. Paul Getty Museum (inv. 84.DF.41) are also recorded in Caffieri’s posthumous inventory of 1755 and were intended for delivery to the Palace of Parma. Comparable to the present pair through the pronounced movement of their scrolling branches with particularly forceful counter-curves, they also share virtually identical drip-pans and nozzles formed as acanthus leaves punctuated by a subtle asymmetry. A particularly closely related pair of two-light wall sconces also appears in the background of a portrait of the Infanta Louise Élisabeth's daughter, Marie Louise of Parma, painted by Laurent Pécheux in 1765 (fig. 1), as well as in the background of the portrait of the Duke of Parma, executed by the same artist that same year, suggesting that the owners of the Palace of Colorno were particularly attached to their interior decoration.
Among the furnishings delivered to Colorno during this period, fourteen other highly comparable wall-lights are today preserved at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, along with much of the Duchess's former furnishings. The resemblance between the present pair and one pair in particular, numbered 'C*R 1119.1' and 'C*R 1119.2', is striking. Their three branches follow precisely the same movement, the foliage climbing their stems displays the same subtleties, and their nozzles reproduce exactly the same unfolding acanthus leaves. Unlike the "C" mark found on our wall lights, the "C*R" mark, standing for Casa Reale, specifically refers to the inventory of the Ducal Palace of Parma, the principal urban residence, rather than to the Colorno estate alone. This pair almost certainly derives from the same master model as the present examples, a design which Caffieri endlessly reinterpreted through subtle variations.
All of these wall-lights bear inventory numbers corresponding to different inventory campaigns undertaken at the Palace of Colorno. Some feature a number preceded by a "C", applied during an inventory of 1855, such as the present pair, respectively marked "C.899.1" and "C.899.2". Others bear the initials "D.C." for "Dotazione della Corona d'Italia", added following Italian unification in 1861. The absence of this administrative mark on the present pair suggests that they left the Palace of Colorno between 1855 and 1861.
Between Abstraction and Figuration: Caffieri at the Pinnacle of His Art
These wall-lights were conceived within the pittoresque style disseminated through the designs of Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier and Nicolas Pineau. This aesthetic concept celebrated natural forms worthy of representation through their exceptional, curious, colourful or exotic appearance. It found expression in sinuous compositions animated by abundant curves, giving rise to genuine ornamental caprices. The royal privilege granted to Jacques Caffieri around 1715 exempted him from many guild restrictions; simultaneously sculptor, bronze founder and chaser, he enjoyed a remarkable freedom of invention. What he achieved in the early 1750s, at the apex of his career, was a remarkable balance between the realism of natural foliage and the abstraction of movement.
To the naturalism of his chasing, which records every vein and fold of the acanthus leaf, Caffieri imposed an abstraction of form, a perfection of curve and counter-curve that idealised and surpassed nature itself. Every upward movement on one side is immediately balanced by a downward accent on the other, while every elongated or regular form is subtly disrupted by a controlled asymmetry.
This brilliance of movement, this mastery of counterpoint and dissonance combined with a perfect balance of proportions, may also be observed in a pair of wall-lights sold at Christie’s New York, 2 November 2000, lot 7. They share with the present pair a characteristic feature of Caffieri's late oeuvre, developed in particular in the years preceding his death in 1755: a series of pierced egg-and-dart motifs running through portions of the foliage. These frises à oves percés are specifically mentioned in his posthumous inventory and recur on several works supplied for the Duchess of Parma's palace, including the two chandeliers now preserved in the Wallace Collection.
A rare survival from the daily life of Princess Louise Élisabeth at the Palace of Colorno, and a discreet symbol of the influence of the French court abroad, the present pair of wall-lights remains a superb testimony to the artistic achievement of the greatest bronzier of his age.
荣誉呈献
Paul Gallois
Head of European Furniture, EMEA