Skip to main content
Video Loading
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 15

Monumental Gilt and Patinated Bronze Candelabra by Beurdeley

About the Item

Monumental gilt and patinated bronze candelabra by Beurdeley French, late 19th century Measures: Height 273cm, width 90cm, depth 90cm This opulent, monumental pair of candelabra by Beurdeley showcases the artistic and technical talent of one of the great cabinet maker families of the 19th century. These nineteen-light candelabra, mounted with two pairs of putti as allegories of war and peace, are an innovative creation influenced by, but not copied from, 18th century precedents. While the striking contrast between the patinated bronze and the gilding coupled with the magnificent scale suggest a highly important or royal commission, there is no recorded patron. Beurdeley was evoking the opulence of the Sun King and Versailles through the size, materials, and quality of the candelabra, but from a 19th century point of view. Beurdeley’s patrons included wealthy American robber-baron families, such as the Vanderbilts and the Rothschilds as well as a mix of European royalty, including the Empress Eugenie. Specifically, Beurdeley was closely involved with the wealthy American families of the Gilded Age. He worked on multiple Vanderbilt estates, including The Breakers in Newport, and exhibited at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. These candelabra are thus inspired by the Sun King and the style of Versailles yet are created for a 19th century audience, possibly a specifically American audience who furnished their homes in a lavish 18th century style. This pair was documented and photographed in Beurdeley’s studio; captioned with the handwritten inscription: ’Guerre et Paix/ les enfants sont en bronze le reste dore/ 19 lumieres (…)’ (War and Peace/ the putti are in bronze the rest gilded/ 19 lights). A size of 1m70 is recorded. The photograph then appears to depict the pair currently for sale. After Beurdeley completed and documented this creation, it is unclear to where they next moved. A pair of candelabra described as ‘Grande torchere Renaissance, Enfants Paix et Guerre. Bouquet 18 lumieres. Partie et contre-patrie’ were offered as lot 1331 in an April 19-22, 1898 Paris sale titled ‘vente de modeles pour bronzes d’art, meubles de style et de grande decoration provenant de la maison A. Beurdeley’. Despite being described as having 18 rather than 19 branches, this description could indicate that the present pair was sold in this sale. The candelabra are next documented at the Fox Theater in San Francisco. Eve Leo Fox, the wife of William Fox, the founder of Fox Film Corporation, purchased the candelabra in Paris in 1928, a year before the San Francisco Fox Theater opened. As Fox Theaters were built throughout many major American cities, Eve went on buying trips throughout Europe in order to purchase the furnishings and decorations for her husband’s ‘movie palaces’, which were acclaimed for their ability to seat up to 5,000 people. Unfortunately, the theater was demolished in 1963 and was accompanied by a sale of its contents. Following the sale, the candelabra entered the collection of the California Historical Society which subsequently sold them at Bonhams San Francisco, October 31, 2011-November 1, 2011, lot 1266. The Beurdeley family was one of the esteemed dynasties of French furniture makers and dealers. The firm began in 1807 with the career of Jean Beurdeley (1772-1853). Jean was succeeded by his son Louis-Auguste Alfred Beurdeley (1808-1882) in 1837, who then passed it off to his son, Emmanuel-Alfred (1847-1919) in 1875. The firm was established at 32 Rue Louis-Le-Grand, and owned pavillion de Hanovre, where the firm was based while Alfred-Emmanuel-Louis added two additional workshops at 20 and 24 Rue Dautancourt. The Beurdeley firm was one of the few not still located near le faubourg Saint-Antoine, or the heart of the 18th century furniture industry. They were unique in their ability to venture into the le quartier de l’Opéra due to their financial position, which was buttressed by money inherited by Jean and Alfred’s marriage in 1852 to Constance Virginie Fleytas, a wealthy widow from New Orleans. In 1895, the company's workshops closed and Beurdeley's stock was sold at several auctions conducted by the Galerie Georges Petit of Paris.
  • Creator:
    Maison Beurdeley (Sculptor)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 107.49 in (273 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 35.44 in (90 cm)
  • Sold As:
    Set of 2
  • Style:
    Baroque (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Late 19th Century
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 14647B1stDibs: LU956320185822

More From This Seller

View All
Pair of Monumental Gilt Bronze and Glass Floor Standing Candelabra
Located in London, GB
Pair of monumental gilt bronze and glass floor standing candelabra Crafted in the neoclassical style, this pair of floor-standing candelab...
Category

20th Century French Neoclassical Candelabras

Materials

Ormolu, Bronze

Pair of Antique Monumental Cast Iron and Gilt Bronze Candelabra
Located in London, GB
Pair of antique monumental cast iron and gilt bronze candelabra French, late 19th Century Height 219cm, width 52cm, depth 52cm This exceptional pair of monumental candelabra is ...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Candelabras

Materials

Bronze, Iron

Pair of Gilt Bronze Standing Floor Lamps
Located in London, GB
Each floor lamp in this pair is constructed from gilt bronze and designed in a neoclassical manner to imitate the appearance of a Corinthian column. Each lamp is formed from a fluted...
Category

Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Floor Lamps

Materials

Ormolu, Bronze

Very Large Louis XV Style Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock by Beurdeley
By Maison Beurdeley
Located in London, GB
Very large Louis XV style gilt bronze mantel clock by Beurdeley French, circa 1880 Measures: Height 102cm, width 48cm, depth 29cm This very large mantel clock...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Mantel Clocks

Materials

Ormolu, Bronze

Pair of Monumental French Antique Marble and Bronze Candelabra Torcheres
Located in London, GB
This pair of fine candelabra torcheres take form on a monumental scale, each of them standing almost two and a half metres tall. The casting is superior in its quality and could be attributed to one of the 19th century masters, such as Deniere or Barbedienne. Each torchere is formed of a fluted veined marble column set...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Torchères

Materials

Marble, Ormolu, Bronze

Pair of Large Gilt Bronze and Marble Candelabra
Located in London, GB
These exceptional, large pair of red marble and gilt bronze candelabra is opulently decorated finely-cast neoclassical style decorations. Each candelabrum is formed as a red marble vase...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Candelabras

Materials

Marble, Ormolu, Bronze

You May Also Like

Pair of Gilt and Patinated Bronze Candelabra by Ferdinand Barbedienne
By Paul Dubois, Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Pair of Gilt and Patinated Bronze Figural Five-Light Candelabra Cast by Barbedienne after the Models by Alexandre Falguière and Paul Dubois. Signed ‘FALGUIERE’ and ‘P. DUBOIS’ ...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Torchères

Materials

Bronze

Important Pair of Monumental Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Nine-Light Candelabra
By Claude Michel Clodion
Located in New York, NY
Each with a figure, one with a satyr, the other a bacchante, holding aloft a spiral-fluted cornucopia, each signed Clodion, electrified. Artist: Claude Michel Clodion (1738-1814) ...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Candelabras

Materials

Bronze

Fine Pair of Patinated Bronze Floor Lamps by Jamie Young
By Jamie Young
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A dynamic and very stylish pair of Geometric designed Bronze Floor Lamps made in India for Jamie Young. The tall supports made of faceted tapering sections...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Indian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps

Materials

Bronze

20th Century Patinated Bronze Floor Lamp
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Beautiful 20th century solid patinated bronze with square marble base floor lamp with round linen exterior / silk interior shade . The lamp is in good working condition . Recently re...
Category

20th Century European Floor Lamps

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Important Pair of Monumental Parcel-Gilt and Patinated Bronze Figural Torchère
By Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguière 1, Paul Dubois, Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in New York, NY
Mounted as lamps and cast by Ferdinand Barbedienne after models by Alexandre Falguiere and Paul Dubois. Both statues are signed on the bases. These fine torchères are reductions ...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Renaissance Floor Lamps

Materials

Bronze

Pair of 19th Century Empire Gilt Bronze and Patinated Bronze Victory Candelabras
By Pierre-Philippe Thomire
Located in Berlin, DE
Pair of Large 19th Century Empire Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Victory Sculptures Candelabras in the manner of Philippe Thomire (1751-1843) A large a...
Category

Antique 1820s French Empire Candelabras

Materials

Bronze

Recently Viewed

View All