19th century, Pair of candlesticks

early nineteenth century

Pair of candlesticks

(2) Bronze and sheet metal, height 42,5 x 22 x 13 cm

“JP” mark at the base

The pair of candelabras features three flames in embossed and finely chiselled bronze with leafy scroll decorations, plant motifs, a nobleman's face inside a reserve and masks. In the centre are two statuettes (under the base is the JP factory mark) depicting two young people dressed in country clothes, representing the theme of pastoral love, also highlighted by the letter and dove held by the boy and addressed to his beloved. This theme was highly appreciated by the aristocracy and the emerging bourgeoisie, as an idealisation of love between characters from the bucolic sphere. The artist's attention is focused on the rendering of the polychromy of the porcelain, without hesitating to contrast these bright shades with that of the bronze, playing with the meticulous decoration made with chiselling, which makes some surfaces appear more opaque. The light is so reverberated on the worked surfaces, creating such an effect that the eye can hardly linger on a particular, also thanks to the extreme attention dedicated to details. The structure of the two objects is made of embossed and finely chiseled bronze sheet, thus suggesting that among the more than eighty workers who worked in Petit's factory, there were also some specialized in the casting and working of bronze.

In Sèvres, Musée National de Céramique, there are some pieces by the French Jacob Petit (Paris 1796-1868), a highly original Parisian ceramist with a great imagination. In 1822 he joined the Manufacture de Sèvres, later opening his own factory near Fontainebleau, which employed 80 workers and had an atelier in Paris. His artistic production consists mainly of decorative objects such as plates, vases, teapots, perfume bottles, but also lights and even fireplaces. His works are in fact characterized by a bold inventiveness that draws inspiration from different decorative repertoires, both from past and contemporary eras, even from different geographical areas, such as the Orient.

If for a long time Jacob Petit's creations were strongly criticized because of the bright colors and excessive eclecticism that characterized them, today the objects that bear his signature are highly sought after for their originality, the richness of the polychromy and are considered a guarantee of quality.

The model referred to for the pair of candelabra is that of the famous Capodimonte porcelains. Produced starting from the first half of the 18th century in the Royal Factory of Capodimonte, founded in Naples by King Charles of Bourbon and his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony.

(see R. De Plinval de Guillebon, Porcelaine de Paris 1770-1850, Friborg 1972)