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Galerie Léage
Pair of three-arm candelabra
Silver-plated and chased metal
France
circa 1760-1765
Pair of three-arm candelabra, Louis XV period, circa 1760-1765, silver plated and chased metal
Height: 58 cm – 23 inches Width: 29 cm – 11 1⁄2 inches
description
The late rocaille taste
This pair of three-arm candelabra belongs to the refined phase of the Louis XV style, around 1760–1765, when Rocaille ornamentation gradually evolved toward greater balance and clarity. While the sinuous vocabulary of intertwined branches and vegetal motifs remains deeply rooted in the Rocaille aesthetic, the overall composition reveals a more measured rhythm, announcing the stylistic inflection of the final years of the reign.
Since the end of Louis XIV’s rule, Rocaille forms—characterized by asymmetry, curvilinear movement and motifs inspired by nature—had spread widely throughout the decorative arts. In lighting fixtures in particular, this taste gave rise to complex compositions of curves and counter-curves, reflecting the inventiveness of designers and metalworkers. In the present candelabra, this ornamental language is tempered by a renewed sense of symmetry and by floral motifs treated in a more naturalistic manner, in keeping with the aesthetic tendencies of the early 1760s.
A well documented model
The model itself is well documented. Closely related examples are preserved in major institutional collections, notably a pair of identical form in gilt bronze at the Musée du Louvre (inv. OA 5133) and another at the Musée Nissim de Camondo. A comparable three-arm candelabrum, slightly earlier in date and still more markedly Rocaille in its base, is also held at the Musée Nissim de Camondo (inv. CAM 209.1-1). These related works attest to the success and diffusion of this model, which appears in both gilt bronze and silver-plated versions, with minor variations reflecting evolving taste.
Silver-plated metal
The use of silver-plated metal is particularly significant. Following the late-17th-century melting of silverware and the promulgation of sumptuary laws restricting the production of large silver objects, silver-plated metal developed as a highly desirable alternative. Produced not by goldsmiths but by founders, chiselers and gilders-silversmiths, such objects offered the visual refinement of silver at a more accessible cost. Widely adopted by the aristocracy and upper bourgeoisie, silver-plated metal became especially popular for lighting and tableware destined for both townhouses and country residences.
By translating a well-established bronze model into silver-plated metal, this pair of candelabra echoes the most sumptuous productions of contemporary orfèvrerie while embodying the changing taste of the period. Combining lingering Rocaille vitality with emerging classical restraint, it stands as a particularly eloquent witness to the stylistic and technical innovations that marked French decorative arts in the final years of Louis XV’s reign.
This pair of three-arm candelabra belongs to the refined phase of the Louis XV style, around 1760–1765, when Rocaille ornamentation gradually evolved toward greater balance and clarity. While the sinuous vocabulary of intertwined branches and vegetal motifs remains deeply rooted in the Rocaille aesthetic, the overall composition reveals a more measured rhythm, announcing the stylistic inflection of the final years of the reign.
Since the end of Louis XIV’s rule, Rocaille forms—characterized by asymmetry, curvilinear movement and motifs inspired by nature—had spread widely throughout the decorative arts. In lighting fixtures in particular, this taste gave rise to complex compositions of curves and counter-curves, reflecting the inventiveness of designers and metalworkers. In the present candelabra, this ornamental language is tempered by a renewed sense of symmetry and by floral motifs treated in a more naturalistic manner, in keeping with the aesthetic tendencies of the early 1760s.
A well documented model
The model itself is well documented. Closely related examples are preserved in major institutional collections, notably a pair of identical form in gilt bronze at the Musée du Louvre (inv. OA 5133) and another at the Musée Nissim de Camondo. A comparable three-arm candelabrum, slightly earlier in date and still more markedly Rocaille in its base, is also held at the Musée Nissim de Camondo (inv. CAM 209.1-1). These related works attest to the success and diffusion of this model, which appears in both gilt bronze and silver-plated versions, with minor variations reflecting evolving taste.
Silver-plated metal
The use of silver-plated metal is particularly significant. Following the late-17th-century melting of silverware and the promulgation of sumptuary laws restricting the production of large silver objects, silver-plated metal developed as a highly desirable alternative. Produced not by goldsmiths but by founders, chiselers and gilders-silversmiths, such objects offered the visual refinement of silver at a more accessible cost. Widely adopted by the aristocracy and upper bourgeoisie, silver-plated metal became especially popular for lighting and tableware destined for both townhouses and country residences.
By translating a well-established bronze model into silver-plated metal, this pair of candelabra echoes the most sumptuous productions of contemporary orfèvrerie while embodying the changing taste of the period. Combining lingering Rocaille vitality with emerging classical restraint, it stands as a particularly eloquent witness to the stylistic and technical innovations that marked French decorative arts in the final years of Louis XV’s reign.
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