A pair of Louis XVI gilt bronze wall lights attributed to Feuchère

A pair of Louis XVI gilt bronze twin-branch wall lights aux tourtereaux
attributed to Pierre-François Feuchère – circa 1787-1788

Height: 57.8 cm. (22 ¾ in.)    Width: 29.8 cm. (11 ¾ in.)
Depth: 14.6 cm. (5 ¾ in.)

Each wall light is cast with a ribbon-tied quiver back-plate surmounted by a pair of turtle doves. The scrolling foliate candle arms end in pierced bobèches in the form of grape vines and drip-pans with hanging grape clusters.

Literature :

H.Ottomeyer & P. Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, vol. I, Munich, Klinkhardt & Biermann, 1986, p. 292. fig. 4.16.17
P.Verlet, Les Bronzes dorés français du XVIIIème siècle, Paris, Picard, 1987, pp. 380-381, fig. 385-387
C . Bremmer-David, Decorative Arts: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue of the Collections of J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 1993. p. 106, cat. no. 175

Comparative Literature :

These sumptuous wall lights are identical to a pair supplied by Pierre-François Feuchère (1737-1823) to Thierry de Ville d‘Avray, the commissaire général of the Garde Meuble de la Couronne (the director of the Royal Furniture Collections), for the bedroom of his private apartment adjoining the royal storage in what is now the Navy Ministry on the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Feuchère invoiced the Garde Meuble 950 livres on 27 September 1787. This pair is now in the J. Paul Getty Museum.

The model must have met with success as a further set of four with three branches was delivered for Marie-Antionette’s use at the Château de Saint-Cloud the following year.

Other pairs identical to this one are in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore and formerly in the Martin Alexander Collection, sold Christie’s New York, 30 April 1999, lot 91.

Pierre-François Feuchère belonged to a family of bronziers that worked extensively for the royal family. He was received maître ciseleur-doreur in 1767. The workshop survived the revolution and prospered as well under the Empire and Restoration.