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André-Charles Boulle, (1642–1732), after
Pairs of ‘Girandole…
See original version (French)
218
-
André-Charles Boulle, (1642–1732), after
Pairs of ‘Girandole…
See original version (French)
Estimate €3,000 - €6,000
Voluntary lot
Description
André-Charles Boulle, (1642–1732), after
Pairs of ‘Girandoles with sphinxes and ram’s heads’ candelabra in chiselled and gilded bronze, with four light arms embellished with ram’s heads and acanthus foliage. The shaft is decorated with the profile of an emperor crowned with laurels and rests on a concave triangular base in red marble adorned with sphinxes, garlands and lambrequins. The whole is supported by flared, fluted feet.
Circular foundry mark: THIÉBAUT FRÈRES Fondeurs Paris
Paris. Late 19th century. Circa 1894.
H_72 cm
Comparative works
*Sotheby’s New York auction. 18 November 2010. Lot 145
*Sotheby’s New York auction. 13 April 2016. Lot 640.
The Thiébaut family
The list of bronze foundries and producers from the 19th and 20th centuries is a long one; among the most important is the Thiébaut family. It was under the leadership of Victor Thiébaut that the foundry business truly began, with the establishment in 1851 of a foundry specifically dedicated to casting art bronzes. Initially, the foundry produced rough castings, which were then sent to Barbedienne or other foundries for finishing. Subsequently, Victor Thiébaut secured production contracts with various renowned sculptors: David d’Angers (La Liberté and 548 medallions, later offered to customers at prices ranging from 7.50 to 30 francs), Carpeaux (The Fisherman with a Shell), Diéboit (France the Benefactor), Falguière (The Victor in the Cockfight), Carrier-Belleuse (A Mother’s Kiss) Paul Dubois, Moulin, Ottin, Cumberworth, and Pradier. The firm also produced vases, bowls and mantelpieces. In 1864, Thiébaut bought out the contracts of the Eck and Durand foundry when it ceased trading. The firm also produced a number of monumental castings, such as Duret’s Saint Michael Slaying the Dragon for the Saint Michel fountain in Paris and Dumont’s Napoleon I for the Vendôme Column
The candelabra with sphinxes and ram’s heads This model of a four-light candelabra, featuring coiled arms topped with ram’s heads and supported by a tripod base adorned with sphinxes (sphinx and ram’s-head candelabra) is traditionally attributed to the court cabinetmaker to Louis XIV, André-Charles Boulle, based on a design by the architect and ornamental engraver Jean Bérain (see Jean Nérée Ronfort, ‘André-Charles Boulle: die Bronzearbeiten und seine Werkstatt im Louvre’, H. Ottomeyer and P. Pröschel, *Vergoldete Bronzen*, Munich 1986, Vol. II, pp. 459–520, and Vol. I, p. 57, fig. 1.7.3). The design proved highly successful and features in the inventories of several prominent 18th-century collectors, including the wife of the haberdasher Hébert, the Duke of Antin and Blondel de Gagny.
One pair is held at Warwick Castle, another at Waddesdon Manor (ill. G. de Bellaigue, *The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor*, Fribourg 1974, Vol. II, pp. 684–685), whilst yet another pair is now at the Getty Museum. This model has also appeared regularly at auction, notably at the sale of Baroness Cassel van Doorn, Paris, 9 March 1954, lot 58, and at the Greenberg Collection, Sotheby’s New York, 21 May 2004, lot 14. Like most of Boulle’s finest works, this model was also reproduced in the nineteenth century, often to an extremely high standard, as is the case with the present pair.
Comparative bibliography:
Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen. Die Bronzearbeiten des Spätbarock und Klassizismus, Klinkhardt and Biermann, Munich, 1986, p. 57, ref. 1.7.3.
Expert: Stephane Pepe
- Expert: PEPE Stephane
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits:
MAISON LANDRE
See original version (French)
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