A Pair Of Napoleon III Period ‘Neo-Grec’ Bronze And Black Marble Torchères

Description

A Pair Of Napoleon III Period ‘Neo-Grec’ Bronze And Black Marble Torchères.

Each baluster upright composed of a Belgian black marble ovoid supporting a stem cast with trailing honeysuckle and circular top-plate. The three scrolled supports with lion-paw feet and anthemion cartouches.

France, Circa 1860.

Part of the Greek revival style of the mid to late 19th century, these porte-torchères were designed to hold candelabra to illuminate a room, free-standing or either side of a doorway, staircase or window. The Neo-Grec style was especially fashionable during the Second Empire period when torchères in the Greek style designed by Henry Cahieux and made by Ferdinand Barbedienne were shown at the Exposition Universelle of 1855.

The Neo-Grec reached its fullest manifestation at the Maison Pompéienne (1856-1860) which was modelled on the villa of Diomedes in Pompeii and built by the architect Alfred Normand (1822-1909) for Prince Jérôme Napoléon (1822–1891), son of Jerome Bonaparte, and first cousin of Napoleon III. The interiors included chandeliers, torchères and furniture designed in the Neo-Grec style by Charles Rossigneux (1818-1907). The Maison Pompéienne was opened to the public during the Exposition Universelle of 1867, marking a high point for the Neo-Grec style. For the same exhibition Rossigneux designed a tea table and service ‘style Grec’ for Christofle. Also shown were various Neo-Grec torchères by all the prominent Parisian makers of bronze light fittings and fixtures, including MM. Barbedienne, Charpentier, Gagneau, Lefevre, Matifat, Royer, Servant and Schlossmacher.