A Magnificent Pair of Gilt-Bronze Figural Empire Period Candelabra

Description

A Magnificent Pair of Empire Period Gilt-Bronze Figural Candelabra.

Each candelabrum is modelled with a classical male or female figure, standing in contrapposto and supporting a vase issuing six scrolling candle branches. The male figure is draped in a lion pelt, while the figures stand upon square-section plinths enriched with finely cast fronded acanthus.

French, Circa 1815.

The finely modelled figures and boldly cast ornament are characteristic of the finest French Empire gilt-bronzes, combining classical sculpture with the strong architectural vocabulary of the period.

At over one metre in height, the candelabra have an imposing presence, their scale and sculptural quality making them particularly impressive as a pair.

In 1804 Napoleon I, crowned himself Emperor of France, ending years of political instability and signalling the dawning of the Empire period. During this time, the economy was booming and a new aristocracy was forming, with Napoleon’s court as its cornerstone. The Empire Period saw the revival of classical ideas and influences, primarily in the decorative arts with Napoleon’s court adopting classical designs discovered in the archaeological excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum early in the Nineteenth Century. The ancient forms of the classical Greeks and Romans, discovered in these ruins, gained a new popularity during the Empire period. Typical Empire Motifs included the acanthus leaf, anthemion (stylised honeysuckle), animal-paw feet, cornucopia, classical figures, dolphin, eagle, lyre and rosette. For ornamentation, ormolu was a prerequisite.