PAIR OF CANDELABRUM. BRONZE, MARBLE. AFTER CLODION, 19TH CENTURY.
Antiques - Miscellaneus / Other Objects
Reference: ZF1522
Pair of candlesticks. Marble, gilt and patinated bronze. Following models by Clodion (Claude Michel, 1738-1814), towards the beginning of the 19th century. A pair of three-light candelabra, each composed of a stepped, circular base adorned with a gilt bronze pearl chain, a patinated bronze sculpture, and the candelabra itself. The candelabra consists of a cornucopia held aloft by the figures, from which arms extend to candle holders (decorated with scrolls and motifs of classical influence), and a vertical axis topped with a vegetal motif from which chains extend, terminating at the arms. The two figures also display classical influences: the male figure is a faun (note the small horns and goat's tail on his back), while the female figure is likely a nymph or a bacchante. The presence of vines and grapes clearly links both figures to the retinue of the pagan god Bacchus or Dionysus. The influence of Neoclassicism can be seen both in the decorative elements of the couple and in the theme chosen for the figures, both linked to one of the best-known gods of classical mythology. The couple's sculptures are modeled after works by Claude Michel (1738–Paris, 1814), a French sculptor known as Clodion, whose works were recognized with awards such as the Grand Prize for Sculpture from the Académie Royale in 1759, the Prix de Rome in 1762, and others. Such was the subsequent appreciation for his sculptures that, not only during the artist's lifetime but throughout the 19th century, his models continued to be used for candelabras, small bronze figures, clock cases, and other decorative objects. The lighting of the candelabras is reminiscent of typical designs in the French school of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
· Size: 25x25x93 cms.
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