Gérard-jean Galle (1788–1846) - Pair Of Candlesticks - Gilt Bronze Torches - Paris Circa 1820

Pair of chased and mercury-gilt bronze candlesticks, signed GF — Gérard-Jean Galle (1788–1846), Paris, circa 1820This elegant pair of finely chased and mercury-gilt bronze candlesticks is the work of Gérard-Jean Galle (1788–1846), one of the greatest Parisian bronze-casters of the early 19th century. They bear the signature “GF,” the hallmark used by the artist, son of the famous Claude Galle and heir to his prestigious Parisian workshop.Of great formal purity, these candlesticks demonstrate the decorative refinement characteristic of the Late Empire or Restoration period. The spherical socket is decorated with delicate stars chased in relief. It rests on a fluted shaft with canted sides, terminating in a base decorated with palmettes. The whole rests on a carefully decorated circular base, which reinforces the architectural harmony of the silhouette. The mercury gilding, alternating between matte and shiny areas, is remarkably well executed and typical of the finest Parisian bronzes of this period. These candlesticks, with their perfect balance between neoclassical rigor and decorative refinement, illustrate the exceptional expertise of Gérard-Jean Galle. After a brilliant military career, he took over his father's workshop on rue de Richelieu in Paris in 1815. There, he continued to produce luxury objects for a prestigious clientele, including the crown and several great aristocratic families, such as the Duke of Richelieu and the Viscount of La Rochefoucauld. He also participated in the Exposition des Produits de l'Industrie in 1819, where he received a silver medal for the quality of his clocks and light fixtures. The excellent workmanship of this pair of candlesticks, the fineness of the chiseling, the quality of the mercury gilding, as well as the presence of the signature "GF" make it an authentic work by Gérard-Jean Galle, and not a simple attribution. They are fully in line with the production of his workshop as documented in French public collections and reference publications. These candlesticks are in a very good state of conservation, in their original gilding, with slight wear related to time, which in no way alters their brilliance or their aesthetic readability. Bibliography: – Bronze and crystal, furniture objects from the 18th–19th centuries, Marie-France Dupuy-Baylet – Catalogue of furniture collections (1): Clocks and furniture bronzes entered under the First Empire, Jean-Pierre Samoyault, Réunion des musées nationaux A work of great rarity and of definite historical interest, this pair of candlesticks constitutes an important testimony to the imperial taste and the unequalled talent of Gérard-Jean Galle, some of whose creations today adorn the collections of the Château de Compiègne, the Château de Malmaison or the Musée Marmottan.