Twelve-light chandelier (lustre)

The metal body of this graceful chandelier is composed of a vase fitted with a slender, spiral-fluted neck of gilt bronze, topped by an arrangement of various fruits. Two pairs of S-shaped candle branches emerge from the folded arms of two beautifully modeled female half-figures evolving from acanthus leaves, while additional branches spring from between the horns of two satyr masks. The combination of varnished metal and gilt bronze offers the kind of rich and sophisticated contrast favored during the late eighteenth century. This chandelier has been attributed to the bronze worker François Rémond, based on similarities with some of his documented work. A highly successful artist, Rémond worked for the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre and was patronized by the comte d’Artois and Marie-Antoinette. Several variants of this model are known; a closely related chandelier is in the collection of the Musée Nissim de Camondo, Paris.