A pair of Louis XVI two-branch ormolu wall lights circa 1775, attributed to François Rémond

Baroness Renée de Becker

Rosenberg & Stiebel, New York, 1958

F. J .B. Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, Vol. II, Greenwich, 1966, p. 427, no. 238 (a set of four)

P. Verlet, Les Bronzes Dorés Français du XVIIIe Siècle, 1987, p. 90, fig. 97

With minor rubbing and traces of oxidation. Some surface dirt and some paint residue to lower section on back. In otherwise very good overall condition.
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These unusual wall lights can be safely attributed to the workshop of François Rémond, son of a humble voiturier who eventually became a celebrated ciseleur-doreur after completeing his apprenticeship with a Parisian doreur. Even though the execution of this lot can be attributed to Rémond, the design of these pieces is likely to be that of Blondelet, who worked with Rémond on several occasions. On October 28, 1784 Blondelet is known to have delivered a pair of this model for the price of 120 livres for Marie Antoinette's petits appartements and took orders for another pair from Madame de Ville d'Avray (see P. Verlet, Les Bronzes Dorés Français du XVIIIe Siècle, 1987, p. 90, fig. 97).  Rémond quickly became one of the sought-after craftsmen in Paris and his clients, besides Marie Antoinette, included the comte d'Artois and the duc de Penthièvre. Rémond's ledgers in the Archives Nationales in Paris dated between 1779 and 1787 include the model of this lot dated to November 10, 1785, almost a year after Blondelet presented the first known pair of these wall lights to the Queen. According to the ledger, some models of the wall lights, described as bras à plaque and bras à plateau, were also produced with chains suspended from the gallery. During the next two years Rémond supplied twenty-three pairs of this model to the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre at the price of 108 livres each. Besides marchands-merciers, Rémond worked with some of the most important and popular furniture and clock makers of his time, such as Riesner, Roentgen and Lépine. His collaborating with Daguerre was particularly fruitful and it was he, who sold many of Rémond's works to members of the high aristocracy and members of the court, including Marie Antoinette, who purchased another six pairs of the chain-decorated version of these wall lights in 1785 for her hameau at Versailles. Soon, members of the court purchased further models of these pieces, including the Princesse Kinsky who used the services of Daguerre to decorate her hôtel particulier in Paris in the latest fashion and bought a pair of these wall lights in January 1789. Unfortunately, Princesse Kinsky could not enjoy her purchases for a long time as her property was seized by the revolutionary government following her death in 1794 (see C. Baulez, 'Le Luminaire de la Princesse Kinsky, L'Estampille /L'Objet d'Art, May  1991, pp. 84-99). A pair of these wall lights was formerly in the Alexander Collection and was offered Christie's New York, April 30, 1999, lot 65.