387 - Attributed to Claude GALLE (1759–1815)

Attributed to Claude GALLE (1759–1815) A pair of candlesticks known as “aux merveilleuses,” made of finely chiseled and gilded bronze, decorated with busts of women wearing corsets and headdresses with plumes. The shafts are decorated with latticework and laurel leaves. They rest on a circular base adorned with palmettes, fleurons, and a frieze of small flowers, and are topped by finials decorated with arrows and ribbon bows. Empire period. H. 33.5 cm Our candelabrum model is characteristic and commonly attributed to Claude Galle (1759–1815). Several variations of the model are known, although the general form remains identical. A renowned bronze artist trained in the final years of the Ancien Régime, Claude Galle became one of the most important bronze artists of the Empire, playing an active role in refurnishing imperial residences such as Compiègne, Fontainebleau, Versailles, and the Grand Trianon.