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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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A very elegant pair of Empire gilt bronze candlesticks attributed to Claude Galle, each with a dentilated drip-pan above a band chased as a quiver on a circular tapering stem adorned with rosettes on a circular foot chased with a band of water leaves above alternate pairs of ribbon-wrapped flaming torches and ribbon-wrapped lovebirds on crossed arrows interspersed by four stars Paris, date circa 1805 Height 29 cm. each. Flaming torches and lovebirds entwined by ribbons as well as arrows are all symbols of love and in particular the torch, arrow and quiver were commonly portrayed as attributes of Cupid. Because of this association it is probable that these beautiful candlesticks were intended as a gift for a loved one. Their overall form and decoration compares to a pair of candlesticks by Claude Galle (1759-1815) made in 1809 for Napoleon Bonaparte’s bedchamber at the Grand Trianon, Versailles, (illustrated in Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, “Vergoldete Bronzen”, 1986, p. 706, pl. 22) and described in the inventory as “deux paires de flambeaux carquois, tige à deux pans et feuilles d’eau ciselées dorés en or mat”. Furthermore the inventory made at the time of Galle’s death in 1815 includes a large number of gilt bronze candlesticks decorated with quivers. As one of the finest fondeur-ciseleurs Galle, like Pierre-Philippe Thomire, enjoyed the patronage of royalty, the aristocracy and Napoleon. He was born at Villepreux near Versailles, where his father was involved in the poultry trade. During his youth he travelled to Paris to begin an apprenticeship, generally assumed to be under the fondeur, Pierre Foy at rue du Four, where Galle was given lodgings. In 1784 Galle married Foy’s daughter, Marie-Elizabeth and on his father-in-law’s death in 1788 Galle was required to pay off the latter’s debts before he took over the workshop, which he built up into one the finest of its kind, eventually employing about 400 craftsmen. Galle promptly moved the business to Quai de la Monnaie (renamed Quai de 1’Unité) and from 1805 operated from 60 Rue Vivienne, close to fellow fondeur, Pierre-Victor Ledure. From 1784 Galle began appearing in the trade registers; he became a maitre-fondeur in 1786 and in the same year received the first of many commissions from the Garde-Meuble to furnish the royal palaces. Among many contracts he gilded fine bronze mounts for the royal ébéniste, Guillaume Benneman. He also worked closely with others, gilding a number of fine bronzes for Pierre-Philippe Thomire, whose castings have often been confused with Galle’s due to their similarity. Like many, Galle suffered as a result of the Revolution though the situation dramatically improved when Napoleon came to power and regenerated interest in the arts. During the Consulate Galle was appointed an official supplier to the Garde-Meuble for which he was paid handsomely, receiving for instance 65,543 francs for bronzes at Saint-Cloud. He also supplied other palaces especially Les Trianons, Le Palais des Tuileries, Châteaux de Fontainebleau, Compiègne, Rambouillet and a number of the Italian palaces at Monte Cavallo Rome and Stupinigi near Turin. His commissions included numerous light fittings, figural clock cases, vases and other fine bronze furnishings. Ingenuity and finesse were a hallmark of his work. Yet despite numerous important commissions Galle was often in debt. This was partly due to a lavish life style, for instance he owned several large properties as well as a fine collection of art. In addition many of his clients, such as Prince Joseph Napoleon, failed to pay him. After his death Feuchère and André Coquille assessed his stock and managed to retrieve his debts. Thus Galle’s business was reopened and prospered under the direction of his son, Gérard-Jean Galle (1788-1846). His work can be found among the world’s finest collections including those palaces mentioned above as well as Musée National de Chateau de Malmaison, the Musée Marmottan in Paris, the Museo de Reloges at Jerez de la Frontera, the Residenz Munich and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. |