Offered by Franck Baptiste Provence
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Beautiful cage chandelier in mercury-gilt bronze, cut crystal, and blown glass.
The frame, with its flowing form, has six intricately carved lights with angular, "Greek"-style cutouts; they terminate in corolla-shaped cups supporting the candle holders.
The central stem is adorned with strung glass elements forming a multi-balustered sheath.
The entire chandelier is lavishly decorated with crystals, including large cut and scalloped rocaille plaques, star-shaped florets, and blown-glass daggers in the form of vases.
In excellent condition, with original mercury gilding.
Parisian work from the late Louis XV period, circa 1770.
Dimensions:
Height: 120 cm; Width: 72 cm
Our opinion:
The handcrafted crystal of our chandelier, achieved through the addition of a significant amount of lead, displays the subtle smoky gray hue so characteristic of the finest French productions of the 18th century. This light, almost silvery coloration produces deep, subtly shifting reflections of great softness, while admirably enhancing the interplay of light and transparency. Impossible to find in later industrial productions, this quality of crystal lends the piece a luminous vibrancy of rare elegance and fully contributes to its refined character. Through the remarkable balance between the exuberance of the Rococo style and the first hints of modernity in the "Greek style," perceptible in the flowing design and the staggered shape of the light arms, this chandelier subtly embodies a pivotal period between Baroque and Neoclassicism. Combined with exceptionally high-quality colored crystal fittings, it constitutes a particularly representative example of the finest Parisian productions of the 18th century.
