Pair of gilded bronze insect candlesticks—Versailles style, 1835.

Louis-Philippe period, circa 1835.

A beautiful pair of finely chiseled and gilded bronze candlesticks, featuring a rich rocaille design populated with insects, based on a model provided for the refurnishing of the Palace of Versailles in 1835, during the reign of Louis-Philippe.

These candlesticks rest on substantial trilobed bases with undulating contours, composed of scrollwork, shells, foliage, and floral bouquets. The various panels, delineated by moldings and rows of pearls, feature finely chiseled backgrounds against which numerous insects rendered in relief stand out.

Butterflies with outstretched wings, bees, beetles, and other winged insects form a particularly original entomological design. Their depiction attests to remarkable chiseling work: wing veins, striated elytra, segmented bodies, antennae, and legs are rendered with great precision. Some insects, almost entirely raised from the background, accentuate the sense of depth and the interplay of the reliefs.

The bases are also embellished with shells, deeply incised foliage, and bouquets of flowers, whose petals and buds are finely crafted.

The shafts, with an asymmetrical baluster shape, feature bold rocaille scrollwork accompanied by foliage motifs and shells. They support flared capitals, richly adorned with leaves and dynamic moldings.

The design draws on the ornamental vocabulary of 18th-century French rocaille, particularly in the spirit of the compositions by Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier and the Slodtz brothers, whose creations greatly inspired 19th-century bronze casters.

A historic model delivered to the Palace of Versailles in 1835

This model of candelabra is documented among the supplies intended for the refurnishing of the Palace of Versailles undertaken during the reign of Louis-Philippe.

In her book *De bronze et de cristal*, Marie-France Dupuy-Baylet reproduces a memorandum dated January 26, 1835, regarding a delivery made by the firm Maury fils, Combes et Compagnie.

This document specifically mentions:
“3 pairs of gilded candelabra with ground gold in the rocaille style, bases adorned with butterflies…”

The corresponding examples preserved at the Mobilier National are cataloged under numbers GML 363/1 and GML 363/2.

These candelabra were sent to the Palace of Versailles in March 1835. The 1840 inventories note their presence in Louis XV’s bedroom and in the Salon des Pendules.

This model thus illustrates the historicist taste that developed during the July Monarchy, a period when the grand Rocaille compositions of the 18th century were brought back into favor in the decor of royal residences.

Condition and Marks

Both candlesticks retain their original gilding, which shows significant wear and reveals the natural color of the bronze in places. This wear gives them a nuanced patina, while preserving the clarity and delicacy of their chiseled decoration.

Each candlestick bears the same intaglio mark beneath its base, consisting of two characters that can be read as “F C,” the meaning of which remains to be determined.

A beautiful pair of Louis-Philippe-era candlesticks, with balanced proportions, notable for the richness of their entomological decoration and their resemblance to a historically documented model from the Palace of Versailles.

Bibliography: Marie-France Dupuy-Baylet, *De bronze et de cristal*, 2020, pp. 434–435, entry no. 262.

Dimensions:
Height: 28 cm; Base diameter: 17.5 cm
Louis-Philippe period, circa 1835.

Ref: BMG6ZANVLO