Pair of candlesticks with a man and a woman holding a cherub

France, Louis XIV period, circa 1710
Chased and gilt bronze
After a drawing by the sculptor Corneille Van Clève (1646–1732)

Provenance:

• Philippe de Nicolay-Rothschild

Identical examples, current collections:

• Corneille Van Clève, Candlesticks, circa 1715, Londres, Wallace Collection (inv.

F30)

• Corneille Van Clève, Two pairs of candlesticks, Avignon, musée des Arts décoratifs Louis Vouland
• Corneille Van Clève, Pair of candlesticks, circa 1720, private collection

Presumably identical examples, 18^th century collections:

• On November 10, 1702, the goldsmith Nicolas Delaunay delivered for the King’s room at Versailles six large candlesticks in silver gilt vermeil representing a man holding a child
• In 1708, a second series of vermeil was delivered for Marly, the goldsmith adding a pendant under the shape of a seated woman
• A pair of candlesticks of the same model has belonged to the Marquise de Pompadour and figures in her succession. They were acquired by his brother the Marquis de Ménars (Marigny), on May 4, 1782 and following days (from the collection of his sister the Marquise de Pompadour): “A pair of candlesticks, superiorly executed, & gilt of mat gold: the body representing a man and a woman each holding a child on their shoulders. Height 16 feet.” (Ménard sale, March 18, 1782, no 574 for 363 gold pounds to Juban)
• Antoine Crozat’s collection, sale of February 26, 1772, no 916
• Comte Louis II Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain’s collection, sale of 1747
• Randon de Boisset’s collection, sale of February 27, 1777, no 266

History of these candlestick models

• In the tradition of the great goldsmithery of Louis XIV whose silver furniture was the jewel and of whome Nicolas Delaunay was a goldsmith, the first series of these candlesticks, in vermeil, were delivered on November 10, 1702 for Louis XIV’s new bedroom at Versailles by this same goldsmith: “Six large silver gilt vermeil candlesticks representing each for the body a naked man seated on a baluster […] placed on a round, chased of tumultuous gadroons, legs.”
• Since 1708, a second series, also in vermeil, was delivered for Marly, the goldsmith then adding a pendant in the shape of a seated woman.
• During the inventory after death of Delaunay, in 1727, a bronze repetition is described.
• A pair of candlesticks of the same model has belonged to the Marquise de Pompadour and figures in her succession: “n°574 a pair of candlesticks, superiorly executed and mat gold gilt. The body represents a man and a woman each holding a child on their shoulders. Height, 16 feet.”
• The attribution of the model to Corneille Van Clève (1646–1732), Nicolas Delaunay’s brother-in-law, appeared in the 18^th century. This is how Pierre-Jean Mariette (1694– 1774) was the first to associate his name to these pieces during the sale of the Comte de Pontchartrain in December 1747. “Two other large bronze candlesticks, of 14 feet of height, on one a man, and on the other a woman, each having on their shoulders a child who holds the bobeche of the candlestick; they were executed on the drawings by Sieur Van-Cleve” (sale of the Comte de Pontchartrain, early 1747, without lot number).
• A pair is described in the catalogue of the sale of M. Selle in February 1761 by the expert Pierre Remy (1715–1797). Acquired during the sale of the goldsmith Claude II Ballin (1661– 1754) in December 1754, it was then attributed to Ballin. The legs described then “in Rocaille and moldings” correspond to the pair without girandole, from the Wallace Collection (sale Randon de Boisset, February 27, 1777, n° 266, 650 gold pounds to Julliot).
• Mentioned in the sale of the Comte de Luc, of December 22 & 23, 1777 “Two candlesticks, one representing a man, the other a woman, each holding a child on their shoulders, which holds a strong bobeche on his head: each figure is seated on a leg of a male taste, of gilt bronze, like the bobeche. Height 15 feet 6 lines. These two candlesticks also come from the Cabinet of the late Mr. Randon de Boisset, under the number 266, page 117 of the first part of the catalogue.” (sale of the Comte de Luc, December 22, 1777, no 16 for 650 gold pounds).

Known as well as in vermeil and in patined, gilt mat gold or gilt bronze, such as the model which belonged to the Marquis de Marigny, the model of this bronze might then follow a model of Van Clève even though the inventories of Delaunay, Van Clève and Ballin cannot allow us to confirm who possessed the model and furthermore who directed the casting and the selling of the prints. A hypothesis can be made that the first model was sold by Delaunay, but the melting might have been realized by Delaunay himself as well as his brother-in-law, Corneille Van Clève, because they were sharing the same furnace. The second model, corresponding to the one of the Wallace Collection and the one presented, indeed might have been casted by the goldsmith Ballin.

These candlesticks rest each on a circular base plinth, adorned with a row of heart stripes and a curved doucine. The top of the base has a heliconical and swirling decoration of guilloche sides surrounded by frameworks, simulating interlacing in some places. A little higher, a pedestal composed of molded rods is tied by crisscrossed ribbons, which four intersections are covered with blooming flowers. It supports a baluster which body is adorned with palm leaves, arranged in cartouches made up of facing crescents. The collar is embellished with fine flutes.

One of the candlesticks represents a woman, her hair pulled on the head, shirtless and almost seated on the baluster, legs slightly folded behind one another, and partly covered with a drapery fabric. The other represents an almost naked man, with curly hair, sitting on the baluster where he puts his foot and his bent leg, partially covered by a small drape which he holds with his right hand. These characters each support on a shoulder a cherub, one dressed in a small cloth and the other of a belt of vine leaves from which escape some grapes, as well as for both, a shoulder strap. The first child grips the woman who is holding him with his right hand. The second is held by the man’s left arm and hand.

They support, above their heads, respectively from one arm and then two arms, a round flared pillow with radiant gadroons and, higher, a beautiful and strong bobeche which bulged body evokes overlapping scales. Above runs a post frieze where spurts flowerets. The collar is surrounded by a row of small, wrapped leaves. These candlesticks are each topped with a nozzle which edges are chiseled and the leaves twisted.

Corneille Van Clève (1645–1732)

Corneille Van Clève is a French sculptor born in Paris in 1645, belonging to a family of goldsmiths. According to the Comte de Caylus, he did his apprenticeship in the workshop of the sculptor Michel Anguier (1612–1686). Completing his initial training with a long travel of ten years in Italy, he was first in Rome as a Pensionnaire du roi, from 1611 to 1617, then in Venice from 1617 to 1680. He was intensely marked by the art of Bernini.

Back in Paris, he was admitted to the Académie in 1681, with Polyphème (Paris, Louvre Museum). He worked on many royal projects: the Château de Versailles for which he created Ariane endormie, Mercure, Enfants à la conque, Lion et sanglier, Lion et loup, in collaboration with Jean Melchior Raon (1630−1719) and many decorations (vases, capitals, figures, bas-reliefs) but also for the Château de Marly and Château de Meudon. The main altar in the chapel of the Château de Versailles is probably one of his best-known works. It represents an Ange aux ailes déployées, two Adorateurs, Chérubins and the Déposition de la croix. In addition, he intervened on numerous religious projects and was thus the author of Deux anges et une gloire (Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis church), an Ange (Sorbonne church), a Christ en croix accompagné de la Madeleine (Saint-Germain‑l’Auxerrois church), of an Ange portant le roseau and an Ange tenant la couronne d’épines (Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral), from the tomb of Anne des Essarts (Saint-Benoît church). Van Clève also made funeral monuments for private individuals (Monument to the heart of the Princes de Condé as well as that of Marguerite de Laigue).

Complete artist, he worked all materials, from wood to marble, including stucco and bronze. Van Clève had his own cast-iron workshop and at the beginning of the 18^th century he produced statuettes prized by amateurs, preserved at the Louvre Museum, Léda et le cygne, Diane et Endymion, Bacchus et Ariane. Coming from a goldsmith family and brother-in-law of Nicolas Delaunay (1646−1727), goldsmith and directeur des Monnaies et des médailles du Roi, his activity extended to works of art since he created a chandelier and a girandole for Marly. Appointed professor in 1693, he was then assistant to the rector in 1706, director in 1711, rector in 1715, chancellor in 1720 and died in 1732.

Nicolas Delaunay (1646–1727)

The massive destruction of the 17^th century French goldsmithery, a consequence of the two large castings ordered by Louis XIV in 1689 and 1709, leaves us with little information on Parisian goldsmithery at that time. Documents from the period inform us that Nicolas Delaunay however was considered “one of the beautiful geniuses that France has produced” by the Swedish architect Nicodème Tessi and his compatriot, the diplomat Daniel Cronström. Delaunay was, with Claude Ballin, the most renowed creators of silver furniture and gold tableware of Louis XIV.

Member of a goldsmith dynasty, he was the son of the goldsmith and coin acceptor Louis Delaunay. The latter, dying prematurely in 1650, Nicolas Delaunay did not learn in his father’s workshop. Although his apprenticeship contract was not preserved, it is likely that he had Claude Ballin amongst his first masters. At the date of the signature of the mark declaration, passed by Nicolas Delaunay on October 7, 1672, the goldsmith delivered the description of his mark “a crowned fleur-de-lys, two grains next to each other, underneath an N, a D and an L.” In this legal act required of any new master goldsmith in Paris, “Sir Claude Ballin, merchant goldsmith in Paris and living at the Louvre galleries”, brought his financial guarantee, while “René Cousinet, merchant goldsmith on the quai des Orfèvres” and apothecary Antoine Regnault bear witnesses. By the time of his Master, validated by the Cour des monnaies on October 10, 1672, Delaunay therefore appeared to be a relative, perhaps a protégé of Claude Ballin. In May 1676, by marrying Madeleine Ballin, daughter of the painter Michel Ballin, Claude Ballin’s own brother, Delaunay became the nephew by marriage of Ballin and furthermore strengthened the links from master to student. The marriage contract passed on May 24, 1676, teaches us that the young household undertook to stay with his wife’s uncle for two years. At the end of the two years, Delaunay received a “reward” of 1000 gold pounds and then worked as an “associate” of Ballin.

Medalist since 1677 for the Monnaie de Paris, he was appointed on November 22, 1696 “directeur du balancier des Médailles[1]” at the Louvre and added to this function an ennobling charge of secrétaire du roi[2]. Louis XIV entrusted him, from 1714, with the task of making his silver tableware.

Claude II Ballin, called the Younger (circa 1660–1754)

Brother-in-law of the silversmith Nicolas Delaunay (1646–1727), Claude II Ballin apprenticed with his uncle, Claude Ballin (1615–1678). He drew most of his works, saving their memories after the great cast of royal silverware. King Gustav III of Sweden, an admirer of the works of his uncle, Claude Ballin, purchased some of the furniture designs, preserved today at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm, Sweden. King’s goldsmith, Claude II Ballin was considered one of the most eminent goldsmiths of his time and therefore received orders for silverware from many courts in Europe.

Bibliography

• Michèle Bimbenet-Privat, Les Orfèvres et l’orfèvrerie de Paris au XVII^e siècle, tome II, Paris, Commission des travaux historiques de la Ville de Paris, 2002, p. 371–373.
• Michèle Bimbenet-Privat, « Le maître et son élève : Claude Ballin et Nicolas Delaunay, orfèvres de Louis XIV », in Bibliothèque de l’École des chartes, t. 161, 2003, p. 221–239.
• Yves Carlier, « Sur quelques modèles de flambeaux en usage à la cour de France au XVIII^e siècle », In Versalia. Revue de la Société des Amis de Versailles, no 2, 1999. p. 60–65.
• Comte de Caylus, « Vie de Corneille Van Clève, sculpteur », In Mémoires inédits sur la vie et les ouvrages des membres de l’Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, publiés d’après les manuscrits conservés à l’École impériale des beaux-arts, tome II, Paris, J.-B. Dumoulin, 1854, p. 73–79.
• P. Hughes, The Wallace Collection. Catalogue of Furniture, III, London, Wallace Collection, 1996, p. 1193–1195.
• Martin Chapman, Marc Bascou, Michèle Bimbenet-Privat, Royal Treasures from the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette, San Francisco, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 2013,
• p. 42, cat. 12.
• Gérard Mabille, « Le mobilier d’argent de Louis XIV », in Quand Versailles était meublé d’argent, Paris, Réunion des musées nationaux, 2007, p. 78–79, fig. 65–66 et 67 et p. 234–235, cat. 9 et 10.
• Jean Nérée Ronfort (dir.), André-Charles Boulle. Un nouveau style pour l’Europe (1642- 1732), Paris, Éditions Somogy, 2009, p. 280–281.
• François Souchal, French sculptors of the 17^th and 18^th centuries. The reign of Louis XIV. Vol III. M‑Z, Oxford, Cassirer, 1987, p. 398–399, cat. 71–72 et 73.

Measurements:

• Height: 15 ^7⁄₈ inches – 40,5 cm Width: 8 ^1⁄₈ inches – 20,5 cm

[1] Louis XIV appointed him with this charge in order to make a descriptive inventory of each mark and matrix of medallions and coins.

[2] The Secrétaire du roi was an officer in charge of the writing and the expedition of royal acts. These charges were ennobling and were particularly prestigious.