catalog text
VERY FINE PAIR OF CANDELABRA WITH SATYR PUTTO EACH RAISING FOUR-LIGHTS
Cast by Henry Dasson after the original models by Claude Michel known as Clodion | gilt and patinated bronze over rouge marble plinth | signed to the edge of rim on each "henry Dasson et Cie 1892" | cast circa 1895
Item # 312PPI07Z
This delightful pair of candelabra were cast by the renowned Parisian atelier of Henry Dasson et Cie. They are a brilliant Bacchanalian modeling of two young satyrs running along at a full tilt over hooved feet while carrying gilded branches that raise four candle wells each.
Both satyrs are based on the model of Claude Michel (known as Clodion) presented in marble at the Paris Salon of 1773 as "Satyre enfant courant avec un hibou". The terracotta for this sculpture is held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. A photo enclosed with the images depicts the example circa 1775 together with its pair, a petite bacchantesse held in the collection of the Louvre in Paris (acc. no. OA 5207). Interestingly, the sculptor Louis-Félix de la Rue (French, 1731–1777) modeled a nearly identical satyr figure carrying an urn from which rise the two branches of the candelabra in the permanent holdings of the Wallace Collection in London also dated to 1775 (acc. no. F158). Clodion's terracotta examples of "The Nest Robbers" held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston as part of the Strauss Collection are an adaptation he made on his 1773 exhibited example, the mischevious young boy figure running off with an owl under his arm while the young satyr girl clasps an owl nest with chicks. Other terracotta examples are held in the Philadelphia Museum, the Cleveland Museum and Nancy.
The present pair are exquisitely decorated with beautifully chiseled, chased and engraved foliage and acanthus decorations in the taste of the Louis XVI era. The figures are raised over rouge marble bases set within a ring of laurel-leaves surrounding the bottom edge over a squared base with inverted corners signed by Dasson. A very fine acquisition.
Measurements: 24 1/4" H x 6 1/2" W [base] x 6 1/2" D [base]
Condition Report:
Both figures with minor wear to the patinated surfaces of the putto; light tarnish, variation and oxidization to the gilding, overall remaining vibrant and bright; the lower portion of one branch regilded with what appears to be a soldered repair at the joint, mostly hidden by the putto's arm; several replaced screws; one beaded ring around the upper of the rouge marble plinth with a tiny break between beads; other minor use indicators. Due to the way the candelabra are affixed to the figures, there is some wiggle when handling the branches. A very fine ready-to-place presentation.