Pair of Candlesticks

When lit, these candlesticks would have caught people’s eyes as the light glinted off the many details. The cherubs’ heads, with their pursed lips, perhaps reference the expression of someone blowing out a candle. The crisp, intricate garlands and leaves demonstrate the skill of the bronze chaser, the artist who hammered the cast bronze to create the details and finish the piece.The undersides bear the stamp of Étienne Martincourt, a celebrated bronze caster of the late 1700s. This candlestick design had lasting appeal. Many well-known collectors owned a similar pair, from the Duchesse de Mazarin in the late 1700s to merchant Léopold Double in the late 1800s. Artists in the 1800s made candlesticks inspired by and closely following this design.