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A Set of Four Empire Ormolu Three-Light Wall Sconces, Attributed to Ravrio

A Set of Four Empire Ormolu Three-Light Wall Sconces, Attributed to Ravrio

$20,000.00

Status: Available

  • Early 19th Century

  • Inv Number:
  • #2006

About

Each backplate topped with a mask of Athena surmounted by an owl and ending in a stylized bellflower and anthemion, issuing three leaf-wrapped scrolling arms. Electrified. Andre-Antoine Ravrio (1759-1814) was a French sculptor in bronze and was made a master founder in 1777 setting up in business 1790. Although Ravrio enjoyed success during Louis XVI's reign, he achieved far greater fame under Napoleon. He took part in the first Exposition de l'Industrie, Paris, 1803 and then won a silver medal there in 1806. The same year he supplied a number of bronze furnishings for the Empress Josephine's apartments in the Tuileries and in 1810 was appointed as the Emperor's chief bronzier. In this capicity he supplied some of the finest Empire bronze pieces, girandoles, candelabras and lamps as well as ornate furniture mounts and an array of fine sculptured clock cases for many of the Imperial residences at the Tuileries, Fontainebleau, Saint-Cloud, Versailles, Compiegne and Rambouillet. Ravrio also worked for the Quirinal in Rome, Monte-Cavallo, for Stupinigi near Turin, King Ludwig of Holland and many other notable figures. Ravrio delivered several pairs of wall lights bearing some similarities with ours to the chateau de Fontainebleau between 1805 and 1808. See J.-P. Samoyault, Pendules et Bronzes d'ameublement entres sous le Premier Empire, Paris, 1989, p. 142, n. 115 and p. 146, n. 122-123. The same model, attributed to Jean-Pierre de Lancry, can be found at Tsarskoe Selo, the Russian imperial residence, but with different nozzles (G. Loukomski, Tsarskoe Selo, Furniture and Interiors, Londres, 1987, p. 83). See Christie's Segoura Sale in New York, 19 October 2006, Lot 198 ($15,600 for a pair) and Sotheby's Paris, 27 April 2017, Lot 251 (13,750 Euros or $15,000 for a pair).

16 3/4in. high, 15in. wide and 8in. deep.