An Important Pair of Gilt And Patinated Bronze Figural Six-Light Candelabra, Modelled As A Triton And A Nereid

Description

An Important Pair of Gilt And Patinated Bronze Figural Six-Light Candelabra, Modelled As A Triton And A Nereid, Mounted On Rouge Languedoc Marble Columns.  Attributed to Jules Allard (1832–1907).

The candelabra exquisitely cast in patinated bronze as a Triton and a Nereid, mythological sea creatures depicted with mermaid-like tails, their lower bodies cast with intricate scales, seated on rocky outcrops, each holding aloft a gilt-bronze foliate branch issuing six candle arms, raised on Rouge Languedoc marble columns, mounted with gilt-bronze fluted socles and square section re-entrant bases enlivened with foliate paterae.

These magnificent candelabra formerly graced the fireplace of the magnificent Drawing room of Elstowe Manor, Elkins Estate, Pennsylvania; later mounted on a pair of superb marble columns of similar period and craftsmanship.

France, Circa 1890.

Elstowe Manor was constructed in 1898 for William L. Elkins, one of the wealthiest men in America during the Gilded Age, due to his success in the oil, transportation, and streetcar industries. Designed by the notable architect Horace Trumbauer, with interior decoration by Allard et Fils – names synonymous with luxury and opulence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Elstowe embodies the lavish lifestyle and cultural ambitions of America’s elite during the Gilded Age.

Photos illustrated in the periodical ‘Architecture’ VOl 3-4, 1901, Forbes & Co., C. Scribner’s Sons, New York  Photos by W.A. Cooper. Public Domain – https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000500297

The 45-room mansion was designed by Horace Trumbauer (1868-1938), a prominent society architect responsible for many grand mansions of the era, including ‘Grey Towers Castle,’ ‘Lynnewood Hall,’ and ‘Whitemarsh Hall’ in Pennsylvania; ‘The Elms,’ ‘Clarendon Court,’ and ‘Miramar’ in Rhode Island; and ‘The George J. Gould Mansion’ and ‘James B. Duke Mansion’ in New York. Elstowe Manor, designed in the Italian High Renaissance style with grand French interiors, stands as a testament to this opulent period.

The Drawing Room, Elstowe Manor, Circa 1900 showing the present candelabra on the fireplace mantle.

Writing in The Journal ‘Architecture’ in 1901 about Elstowe, Lena Cooper noted:

“The newly completed residence of Mr. W. L. Elkins in the Chelton Hill district of Philadelphia is an excellent example of the magnificence and ornamental detail of the Italian Renaissance type. Of Indiana lime- stone and granite, with its columns and many arches, stately and graceful in design, it is imposing and picturesque. The estate comprises about eighty acres of land, beautifully laid out and enclosed by a wrought iron fence with gateways elaborate and ornamental, thus making the house with its surroundings a veritable palace, with- out and within”.

“The drawing room in tones of white and gold of the Louis XVI period is one of dainty splendor. The ceiling is a handsome painting of the Versailles period and of striking beauty. The mantel of precious marble and gilt bronze is a rich ornamentation. The wall panels are of white woodwork with carved gilt decorations in two tones of gold. Above the doors are paintings. The hangings are of Lyons and old Louis XVI tapestries of interesting design. The furniture pieces are gems of art covered with priceless Louis XVI tapestries which cannot be duplicated in this country or abroad. A number of beautiful polar bear skins lie on the highly polished floor. The setting of the room is perfect”

[Elstowe Manor, Lena Cooper, ‘Architecture’ VOl 3-4, 1901, Forbes & Co., C. Scribner’s Sons, New York, Public Domain’]

The interiors of Elstowe Manor, like many other properties designed by Trumbauer, were largely supplied by the renowned Parisian interior design firm of Jules Allard et Fils, who had established a New York office as early as 1885. Following advice from architect Richard Morris Hunt, Allard opened his New York branch to handle major projects, though much of the work was completed in Paris and then shipped to the United States.

Allard employed over 300 artisans, combining artistic merit with industrial capabilities, appealing to the wealthy elite. Boiserie, furniture, and sculpture were crafted in his Paris workshops or sourced from European designers and manufacturers, then reassembled in America.

An unnamed critic from Le Panthéon de l’industrie in 1879 praised Allard’s integration of traditional craftsmanship with modern machine tools, highlighting his balance of artistry and industrial efficiency:

“De ses magnifiques ateliers, où l’on compte des légions d’artistes dessinateurs, modeleurs, sculpteurs, il s’est bien gardé d’exclure le simple ouvrier ébéniste, menuisier, tourneur et tapissier; il a introduit, avec un empressement jaloux, les machines-outils les plus perfectionnées; il les a mises en action par une puissante machine à vapeur, reconnaissant que si la main conduite par l’intelligence et le goût peut seule fouiller le bois, le ciseler finement, le faire vivre, aucune main ne saurait, aussi bien qu’une machine, débiter la matière, la raboter, la mortaiser, la tourner et la polir.” “Jules Allard Fils: Ébéniste et sculpteur sur bois,” 

“From his magnificent workshops, where legions of draftsmen, modelers, and sculptors work, he has not excluded the simple cabinetmaker, carpenter, or upholsterer. With jealous eagerness, he introduced the most perfected machine tools, driven by a powerful steam engine. Recognizing that while only the hand guided by intelligence and taste can finely carve and bring wood to life, no hand can match the precision of a machine for cutting, planing, mortising, turning, and polishing.”

[“Jules Allard Fils: Ébéniste et sculpteur sur bois,” Le Panthéon de l’industrie, January 1, 1879.]

Allard’s reputation in America soared after designing the French salon for William K. Vanderbilt’s mansion at 660 Fifth Avenue, New York, helping to establish the vogue for French dix-huitième interiors. Beyond Trumbauer, Allard worked with prominent architects such as Richard Morris Hunt and Stanford White.

At Hunt’s Marble House, Allard was responsible for the French Revivalist interiors, including the magnificent bronze figures of ‘Vieillesse et la Jeunesse’ reclining on the Grand Salon’s pedimented mantel, which unsually are signed.

The magnificent mantlepiece in the Ballroom of Marble House with bronze figures representing ‘la Vieillesse et la Jeunesse’ (Old Age & Youth), signed “J. ALLARD ET FILS Paris 1891.” © The Preservation Society of Newport County, public domain. www.newportalri.org

Similarly, in Alva Vanderbilt’s ‘Bedroom à la Pompadour’ at Marble House, Allard furnished the room with a grand bed derived from a design by Daniel Marot (1661–1752) but updated and reimagined for the Gilded Age.

Daniel Marot, the elder, Design for a state bedchamber, Oeuvres: contenant plusieurs pensséz utile aux architectes, peintres, sculpteurs, orfevres & jardiniers, & autres; le toutes en faveure de ceux qui s’appliquerent aux beaux arts, Daniel Marot, Second Livre d’Appartement , 1702

Here, Allard replaced Marot’s classical figures with sea nymphs, that coil around the frame with mermaid tails, iconographically related to the candelabra at Elstowe.

Jules Allard, Double bed with baldachin and carved nymph figures, circa. 1892, Alva Vanderbilt’s bedroom, Marble House, Newport. The Preservation Society of Newport County. © The Preservation Society of Newport County, public domain. www.newportalri.org

The fireplace on the east-wall of the bedroom also features comparable figural torcheres. Designed with a modern sensibility, Allard transforms Hunts original classical caryatids into striking three-dimensional Belle Époque figures dramatically holding aloft electrified candelabra.

Jules Allard, East-wall mantelpiece with classical figural candelabra, circa. 1892, Alva Vanderbilt’s bedroom, Marble House, Newport. The Preservation Society of Newport County. © The Preservation Society of Newport County, public domain. www.newportalri.org

Following William L Elkins death in 1903 ownership of Elstowe Manor passed through the Elkins family until 1948 when it was sold to the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine de’ Ricci. The Sisters operated Elstowe Manor as a religious retreat for 75 years, preserving much of the estate’s historic Gilded Age architecture.

However, financial challenges forced the retreat house to close in 2006. In 2009, the Land Conservancy of Elkins Park purchased the 42-acre property but defaulted on payments. The Dominican Sisters foreclosed and regained control after a prolonged legal battle. In 2019, they sold the estate to Landmark Developers for $6.5 million. The estate now serves as an event venue and boutique hotel.

A Contemporary Photograph of Elstowe Manor, Source Wikipedia, Public Domain.

Elstowe Manor stands as a monument to the Gilded Age, a time when industrial wealth allowed families to construct homes that were not just residences, but statements of social standing. The candelabra, with their rich materials and classical iconography, are small but significant parts of this larger narrative, serving as reminders of the lengths to which the American elite went to demonstrate their cultural sophistication.