Pair of Directory/Imperium candlesticks. Sweden or Russia, ca. 1800

Pair of Directory/Imperial period candlesticks. Sweden or Russia, circa 1800
Patinated bronze and mercury gilt bronze.
Three lights each
Measurements: 55.5 cm (height) x 22 cm (width); base: 11 x 11 cm (11 x 11 cm)

Magnificent pair of Directoire or Empire period candelabra, made in patinated bronze and mercury gilded bronze, a technique characteristic of the neoclassical goldsmiths of the late 18th and early 19th century. Each candelabra adopts the elegant silhouette of a caryatid inspired by classical antiquity, with an erect posture and serene expression. The female figure, treated with great sculptural sense, holds three arms of light, whose design in the form of scrolls ends in fluted cups decorated with acanthus leaves, a distinctive symbol of the classical repertoire.
The central lighter rises above the figure's head, evoking the aesthetics of ancient ceremonial torchbearers. The composition rises on an architectural pedestal decorated with refined gilded bronze appliqués: smoking censers, garlands and fantastic creatures of Egyptian influence, in a clear allusion to the archaeological taste promoted by the Empire style after the Napoleonic campaigns.
These pieces, of great ornamental strength, are a paradigmatic example of neoclassical-inspired representational furniture, and stand out for their combination of monumental lines, technical refinement and chromatic sobriety.