Chased and gilt bronze.
H. 86 cm. (34 in.); D. 68 cm. (26 ¾ in.).
PROVENANCE: Bernard Steinitz collection, Paris, then private collection, USA.
This extremely rare six-light gilded bronze chandelier « à la grecque » is attributed to the sculptor and chiseler Jean-Louis Prieur (1732-1795), who figured among the most illustrious bronze makers of the neoclassical period, active in Paris. It is similar to the chandelier by Prieur dated circa 1770, that adorns the dining-room of the Nissim de Camondo museum in Paris.
These chandeliers feature branches formed by twisted, intertwined rods, and are ornamented in their center by a vase garnished with flowers and presenting Greek motives. This characteristic motif of the style “à la grecque” in vogue in the years 1765-1775 is also present on the three mounts adorned with aries heads reunited by a dome crowning the piece.
