Pierre-Philippe Thomire

PIERRE-PHILIPPE THOMIRE (1751-1843).
Pair of candlesticks, c. 1800.
Mercury gilt bronze.
Signed.
Measurements: 73 x 31 x 31 cm (x2).
Pair of six-light candelabra made in fire-gilded bronze, outstanding example of the French Empire style of the early nineteenth century. Each piece has a fluted shaft with balustrade column, seated on a finely worked square base. The ensemble culminates in a central finial from which six swan-shaped arms emerge, supporting the candleholders with great compositional harmony.
The pieces are signed on the base: "THOMIRE A PARIS", mark of the prestigious Parisian bronze artist Pierre-Philippe Thomire, considered the most important of his time. Trained in the workshop of Pierre Gouthière, Thomire developed an exceptional career collaborating with key figures such as Louis Prieur and linking himself to the Manufacture de Sèvres, where he made bronze mounts for some of the most outstanding creations of the period.
After the French Revolution, his workshop became a reference supplier of imperial taste, working for the Napoleonic court, official residences and a select international clientele. His production is characterized by technical perfection, classical balance and refined ornamentation that defines the Empire Style.
These candlesticks are an excellent example of French imperial decorative luxury, where functionality and aesthetic solemnity are integrated in an object of strong sculptural presence.