Handheld Empire-style Candlestick, Gilded Bronze With Mother-of-pearl Inlay, By Claude Galle, Psyche And Putti, 19th Century

Rare finely chiseled gilded bronze handheld candlestick, the rim decorated with two cherubs framing a candle holder amidst arabesques and floral scrolls; in the center, an inlaid mother-of-pearl plaque; thumb rest shaped like the head of the goddess Psyche and her butterfly wings; attributed to Claude Galle*, First Empire period, early 19th century.

This candlestick is in good overall condition, exceptional quality.

Pleasenote: the mother-of-pearl inlay is cracked and broken; some soiling andwear from age on the bronze; see photos (see red arrows).

One of the most eminent bronze artists and founders-engravers of the late Louis XVI and Empire periods, Claude Galle was born in Villepreux nearVersailles. He served his apprenticeship under the founder Pierre Foy, marrying Foy’s daughter in 1784. In 1786 he became a master founder. Upon the death of his father-in-law in 1788, Galle took over the workshop,which became one of the largest in Paris, employing, at the height of its activity, nearly 400 artisans. Galle moved the workshop first to Quai de la Monnaie (later Quai de l’Unité), then, in 1805, to 60 Rue Vivienne.   The Crown’s furniture repository, under the direction of sculptor Jean Hauré from 1786 to 1788, honored him with several commissions. Galle worked with many remarkable artisans, such as Pierre-Philippe Thomire; he supplied the majority of the bronze furnishings for the Château de Fontainebleau during the Empire. He received numerous imperial commissions for lamps, clock cases, and vases for the palaces of Saint-Cloud, the Trianons, the Tuileries, Compiègne, and Rambouillet. He furnished the Italian palaces of Monte Cavallo in Rome and Stupinigi near Turin. Despite his success, Galle often found himself in financial difficulty, caused in part by his generous and lavish lifestyle and also by the inability of some of his clients (such as Prince Joseph Bonaparte) to pay what they owed. After Galle’s death, his son, Gérard-Jean Galle (1788–1846), continued the workshop’s operations. Today, his work can be found in the world’s most important museums and collections, such as the National Museum at the Château de Malmaison, the Marmottan Museum in Paris, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

• Diameter 12 cm
• Height 6 cm
• Width including thumb rest 14 cm
• 300 376
• All photos are available at:
  www.antiques-delaval.com