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A table centrepiece from the story of Eros and Psyche, in ch…
See original version (French)
A table centrepiece from the story of Eros and Psyche, in ch…
See original version (French)
Lot no. 52
Description
A table centrepiece from the story of Eros and Psyche, in chased and gilded bronze (on two sides), in five parts with a mirror background, the historiated scenes showing on the outside Zeus ordering Hermes to take Psyche to Olympus, with on either side the abduction of Psyche and Psyche contemplating Eros asleep, These scenes, reproduced around the main panel, are punctuated by figures of ancient women in caryatids supporting bouquets of two- and four-branched lights (twenty-four lights in all), with a frieze of vine branches running beneath the historiated scenes, the inside also decorated with scenes from the story of Eros and Psyche riding Eros shooting an arrow, the chariot of love drawn by swans and Eros playing the lyre; (minor restorations; the mirrors replaced).
Empire period, circa 1810-1820.
Height 45 cm; Width: 250 cm; Depth: 72 cm
In addition to its highly unusual dimensions, this table top is distinguished above all by the historiated decoration around the edge of the top. Several scenes illustrate the story of Eros and Psyche, taken from Apuleius' Golden Ass (Book VI, chapters 23, 24).
This unprecedented decorative approach sets this piece apart from those generally considered to be the most ambitious, with decorations of reclining antique women, bacchantes, vases or swans; these above all are infinitely richer than the very common ones simply decorated with scrolls or vine branches.
Another feature that also makes the surtout de l'Histoire de Psyché one of the rarest is the presence of multiple arms of light integrated directly into the perimeter of the tray, with some bouquets containing up to four branches. In its original configuration, accompanied by bowls and candelabras placed on the mirror top, the appearance of this piece was probably of incomparable decorative impact. The main effect lay in the reflection of the light from the candelabras on the crystal of the goblets, on the one hand, and on the gilding of the bronze, on the other.
In the case of our piece, this play of light was simply multiplied tenfold by the twenty-four lights above the illustration of the story by Apuleius.
Table tops with light arms are quite rare among the table tops known today. Light arms appeared around 1810, probably at the instigation of Claude Galle (oral information from Jean-Dominique Augarde). The closest example is undoubtedly the one preserved in the White House in Washington, on which caryatids carry two arms of light. This particular piece was delivered by Denière and Matelin in 1816 to President James Monroe (1758-1831).
We should also mention the surtout presented by the Richard Redding Gallery (Gündisau, Switzerland) attributed to Claude Galle, comprising twelve two-light candelabras, as well as the one signed by Pierre Philippe Thomire sold by Christie's in New York on 24 March 2016, lot 74, comprising sixteen lights.
With regard to the above-mentioned trays described in archival documents, a particularly interesting mention was found in the inventory of the bronzier Claude Galle in 1811: "a tray of five rich pieces with peacock figures bearing girandoles with twenty-four lights, all gilded with matte with coloured painted glazes, model of Galle, estimated at the sum of four thousand two hundred and ten francs". However, although the number of trays and the number of lights correspond to the story of Eros and Psyche, the latter does not include a peacock figure; moreover, it is highly unlikely that the expert omitted to describe the particularly remarkable historiated scenes.
These three comparisons with Claude Galle, Pierre Philippe Thomire and above all Denière and Matelin could, given the quality of these bronzemakers, appear to be a satisfactory attribution in the absence of additional elements, in particular comparisons, concerning the exceptional nature of the historiated decoration of the table centrepiece presented here.
Expert : Pierre-François DAYOT.
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