Pair of Louis Philippe sconces; second half of the nineteenth century.

Pair of sconces Louis Philippe; second half of the nineteenth century.
Gilded bronze.
Measurements: 58 x 48 cm (x2).
This pair of wall sconces, executed in gilded bronze during the second half of the 19th century, represents a characteristic manifestation of the decorative taste under the reign of Louis Philippe I of Orleans (1830-1848) and its later stylistic prolongation. Each applique presents a complex structure, with multiple arms emerging in an elegant curve from a richly ornamented base, which incorporates the figure of a putto (winged child or cherub), a frequent iconographic resource in the ornamentation of classicist and baroque roots.
The composition stands out for its dynamism and visual balance: the arms of light unfold radially, supporting a total of five points of light each, whose tops are carefully decorated with vegetal motifs, scrolls, and rococo-inspired flowers. The treatment of the bronze is evidence of a high degree of technical refinement, with detailed chiseling and warm gilding that, in its time, would have enhanced the luminous quality of the whole.
The Louis Philippe style is part of a transitional period in the French decorative arts, characterized by an elegant and moderate eclecticism. Although less ostentatious than the Empire style of the early 19th century, this style maintained a strong inclination towards historicism, drawing on forms inspired by the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo, but softened with a more intimate and bourgeois sensibility. These sconces embody precisely that synthesis: on the one hand, the formal exuberance inherited from the 18th century; on the other, the domestication of ornamentation for more private and comfortable interiors.
During this period, the rising bourgeoisie became a new commissioner of decorative art, eager to show their prosperity through the furnishing of their residences. Gilded bronze sconces were key elements within this visual language, as they not only provided illumination (first by candle, then adapted to gas or electricity), but also functioned as autonomous decorative pieces, integrated into mural compositions alongside mirrors, clocks or tapestries.