19th Century Gilt Bronze Candleholders, in the style of Ernest Meissonier

We present you with this wonderful and extremely rare pair of candleholders from the late 19th century Napoleon III era, embodying the exceptionally ornamental and dramatic Rococo style of Louis XV. Inspired by a model made by a great French Classicist painter and sculptor, Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier (1815-1891), these candleholders are adorned with figurines of putti holding torches at their top. Standing at 30 centimetres in height, they also feature rocaille-shaped bases decorated with acanthus leaves, showcasing superb craftsmanship with exquisite gilding and chiselling. The application of gilding was done using the mercury gilding method.Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier (1815 – 1891) was a French Classicist painter and sculptor, most famous for his depictions of Napoleon, his armies and military themes. He documented sieges and manoeuvres and was the teacher of Édouard Detaille. He enjoyed great success in his lifetime and was acclaimed both for his mastery of fine detail and assiduous craftsmanship. The English art critic John Ruskin examined his work at length under a magnifying glass, marvelling at Meissoniers manual dexterity and eye for fascinating minutiae. Meissoniers work commanded enormous prices and in 1846 he purchased a great mansion in Poissy, sometimes known as the Grande Maison. The Grande Maison included two large studios, the atelier dhiver, or winter workshop, situated on the top floor of the house, and at ground level, a glass-roofed annexe, the atelier dété or summer workshop. Like Alexandre Dumas père, he excelled at depicting scenes of chivalry and masculine adventure against a backdrop of pre-Revolutionary and pre-industrial France, specialising in scenes from 17 and 18th-century life.