- 160
A magnificient pair of palatial size Napoleon III figural torchÈres paris, circa 1870
Description
- height 9 ft. 6 1/2 in.
- 290.8 cm
Provenance
Current owner
King George II Palace hotel, Syntagma Square, Athens
Catalogue Note
Although apparently unsigned with a foundry mark, the quality of the casting and chasing is of very high Parisian standards. It was customary for the best Parisian bronziers of the mid 19th century, such as Denière and Barbedienne whose creations were some of the most celebrated castings of the Napoleon III era, not to sign such grand pieces, that might have been at the time of manufature a unique commission for a, as yet unknown, Parisian Hotel Particulier.
The King George II Palace Hotel, located in the heart of Athens on the Syntagma Consitution historical square, has attracted some of the world’s most prominent figures. Its owner Kalkanis amassed a fantastic collection of works of art from all over the world to decorate the rooms of the hotel. These included, among others, the present magnificent pair of figural candelabra, as well as Aubussson tapestries of the 17th century, Old Master paintings, Japanese porcelains of the 17th century, a collection of sulptures from the 18th and 19th centuries, and Louis XVI boiserie panels.
Amongst the many guests of the hotel and family friends were the kings of Greece, the president John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his wife, Maria Callas, Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, Juan Carlos of Spain, Simeon of Bulgaria and various other crowned heads of Europe, India and the Emirates.