Large Gilded Bronze Centerpiece Attributed To Pierre Philippe Thomire Empire Period

Important centerpiece attributed to Pierre Philippe THOMIRE (1751–1843), in chiseled and gilded bronze, decorated with three putti as cephores dancing around a baluster column, supporting an openwork cup flanked by swans adorned with garlands of flowers, the whole resting on a base decorated with garlands alternating between torches and renown motifs.
Circa 1820.

Height: 64 cm.

Price: €30,000

History:

A bronze centerpiece of the same type is held at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (inventory no. 21252) as well as in the collections of the Château de Sache. 

Pierre Philippe Thomire received the title of “Master Casting and Chasing Artist” from his father, Luc-Philippe (who died in 1783), in 1772; four years later, he added the title of “gilder.” In 1783, he succeeded C. Duplessis as “engraver and gilder” at the Sèvres Manufactory.  Thomire had a reputation as the best castor and engraver in Paris as early as the 1780s. By the end of the 18th century, his success was bolstered by commissions from abroad—notably from royal and noble houses in Spain and Russia—to such an extent that by 1807, he employed more than 200 people to meet the immense demand for luxury items. He created some of his most inventive works after 1804, when he purchased the business of M.E. Lignereux, a merchant to whom he had previously supplied bronzes. As early as the Directoire period, he received a gold medal at the Exhibition of Industrial Products, an honor that was bestowed upon Thomire and his company at every subsequent exhibition throughout his career. In 1834, King Louis-Philippe appointed him a member of the Legion of Honor. Distinguished by their inventiveness, stylistic elegance, and the exceptional quality of their casting and gilding, Thomire’s works attest to his status as an exceptional figure at the pinnacle of his art. For the Thomire firm, the years following 1820 were marked by the takeover of the business by P.P. Thomire’s sons-in-law and grandsons.

Bibliography:

• J. Niclausse, *Thomire, Fondeur-Ciseleur – sa vie, son œuvre*, Paris 1947.
  
• H. Ottomeyer / P. Pröschel, *Vergoldete Bronzen – Die Bronzearbeiten des Spätbarock und Klassizismus*, Munich 1986; p. 384 (ill. 5.16.4, the central piece housed at the Musée des Beaux-Arts).

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