Louis XV-Style Ormolu Chandelier

Description

Louis XV-Style Ormolu Chandelier
After Jacques Caffieri
Circa 1870

This incredible ormolu chandelier represents the pinnacle of the bronziers’ art. Masterfully designed in the Louis XV style, this fixture showcases magnificently chased bronze branches with playful cupids and nesting birds encircled in lush foliage, capturing the grandeur of the Rococo era. Crafted in the 19th century, it was created to hold 15 candles and has now been modified for electricity. Exceptionally large and splendidly ornate, this chandelier is an extraordinary rarity.

This particular example is based on an 18th-century model by the celebrated bronzier Jacques Caffieri, which now hangs in the Bibliothèque Mazarine in Paris. The original is one of the most important works of Caffieri and bears the arms of Madame de Pompadour. The chandelier originally hung in the Château Anet, one of the many residences of King Louis XV, and was acquired by the Bibliothèque following the Revolution.

Toward the end of the 18th century, the French were acclaimed for their innovative designs of light fixtures and chandeliers. Due to the expense and scarcity of gold and silver, French artisans developed the process of gilding bronze, a more malleable metal, for decorative purposes. The final product became known as ormolu (from the French or moulu, meaning ‘ground gold’) and chandeliers adorned with gilt bronze became popular across Europe. During the 19th century, many of the 18th-century developments were “modernized” and perfected, resulting in wonderful creations like this chandelier.

57″ high x 40 3/4″ wide x 39″ deep