Pair of Napoleon III candlesticks, third quarter of the nineteenth century.

Pair of French candlesticks. Napoleon III, third quarter of the nineteenth century.
Modeled after Corneille Van Cleve (1646-1732).
Gilded bronze (red-gilded).
Measurements: 40 x 18 x 18 cm.

Elegant pair of gilded bronze candlesticks belonging to the Napoleon III period, executed following models attributed to the French sculptor Corneille Van Clève, outstanding artist of the reign of Louis XIV and relevant figure of the French baroque classicism.

Each candlestick is structured on a richly molded circular base, from which emerges an allegorical figure in round bulk that acts as a shaft. One of them represents a faun or satyr, identified by its vigorous anatomy and animal elements, while the other embodies a female figure of mythological character or bacchante, associated with the Dionysian universe. Both hold the vegetal shaft that culminates in the candle holder decorated with motifs of leaves, scrolls and bunches, reinforcing the ornamental language of classical roots.

The quality of the casting and the richness of the chiseling are evidence of a refined manufacture, characteristic of the Parisian workshops of the Second Empire, a period in which the models of the Grand Siècle were recovered and reinterpreted with great virtuosity. The gilding, luminous and homogeneous, enhances the volumes and accentuates the dynamism of the figures.

A representative example of the historicist and eclectic taste of the third quarter of the 19th century, this pair combines compositional balance, technical excellence and model prestige, constituting pieces of remarkable decorative and collector's appeal.