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Lot Essay
A drawing attributed to the fondeur and ciseleur-doreur François Rémond (1747-1812) depicts a draft design for a closely related girandole of this model with seven branches, and known examples executed by him date from circa 1785. In October 1786, Marie-Antoinette ordered a pair for her new Salon des Nobles at the château de Versailles, at a price of 2612 livres.
This model enjoyed enormous success, and numerous variants with slight modifications, including sphinxes, goats' heads etc. were subsequently created. In April 1787, Rémond supplied the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre eight girandoles en trépied for a total price of 7200 livres, and these can probably be identified with the eight candelabra of this model bought from Daguerre by George, Prince of Wales, later King George IV, for Carlton House. Placed in the Throne Room, they are visible in Charles Wild's 1818 watercolour, illustrated in Carlton House, The Past Glories of George IV's Palace, Exhibition Catalogue, London 1991, col. pl. IV, no. 195.
This model enjoyed enormous success, and numerous variants with slight modifications, including sphinxes, goats' heads etc. were subsequently created. In April 1787, Rémond supplied the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre eight girandoles en trépied for a total price of 7200 livres, and these can probably be identified with the eight candelabra of this model bought from Daguerre by George, Prince of Wales, later King George IV, for Carlton House. Placed in the Throne Room, they are visible in Charles Wild's 1818 watercolour, illustrated in Carlton House, The Past Glories of George IV's Palace, Exhibition Catalogue, London 1991, col. pl. IV, no. 195.