PAIR OF CANDELABRA WITH CHILDREN AFTER A MODEL BY JUSTE-AURELE MEISSONNIER

A pair of Louis XV style six-light candelabra in gilt and chased bronze, decorated with two children holding onto the stem and embracing. The serpentine stem, adorned with rocaille motifs and a profusion of scrolling and twisted foliage, rests on a circular base chased with openwork, jagged leaves. The exuberant, deeply sculpted forms lend considerable movement to these candelabra, made in the second half of the 19th century. This pair is inspired by a model by Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (1695-1750).

Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (Turin, 1695–Paris, 1750) was a French architect, ornamentalist, and goldsmith. Considered by his contemporaries to be the leading figure of the Rococo style, he was one of the most influential artists shaping 18th-century taste. His talent earned him the position of goldsmith and designer to the bedchamber and cabinet of the King of France. His collections, such as the "Livre d'ornements inventez et dessinez par JO Meissonnier" (1734), contributed to the European dissemination of the Rococo style. He was one of the first artists to abandon symmetry in favor of designs with unequal sides, spiraling or twisted forms, and exuberant motifs of shells and plants. The Rococo style was widely adopted and expanded during the reign of Napoleon III. Napoleon III period, Circa: 1860 Dim: L:30cm, D:30cm, H:65cm.