Pair of firedogs (chenets)
Multiple examples of this model of firedogs, incorporating the figures of two mythological deities in their design, are known. The crowned male figure could be Pluto, Roman god of the underworld; the female pendant might be his love, Proserpina, traditionally shown with a torch, as the woman is here. In fact, in 1753 the metalworker Antoine Lelièvre supplied a pair of chenets decorated with the rulers of the underworld, albeit of a different model, to Louis XV for use at Versailles. However, Pluto is generally rendered with a scepter, not with a trident as here, the latter usually being an attribute of Neptune. Given the fact that andirons were placed in front of the fireplace to reflect the flames, the choice of Neptune and his spouse, Amphitrite, god and goddess of the sea, would have been an amusing one. Whatever their identities might be, these firedogs with their figures perched on pierced scrolling bases evolving into acanthus leaves are a perfect embodiment of the whimsical Rococo taste.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pair of firedogs (chenets)
- Date: ca. 1750
- Culture: French
- Medium: Gilt bronze
- Dimensions: .1) H. 20 3/4 x W. 19 x D. 10 1/2 in. (52.7 x 48.3 x 26.7 cm);
.2) H. 17 3/4 x W. 19 5/16 x D. 9 3/4 in. (45.1 x 49.1 x 24.8 cm) - Classification: Metalwork-Gilt Bronze
- Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1986
- Object Number: 1986.365.1, .2
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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French
ca. 1785
French
ca. 1790
French, Paris
ca. 1787–88
Multiple artists/makers
after 1771–72, mounts ca. 1780
Guillaume Dupré
1615
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