A PAIR OF LOUIS XVI ORMOLU FOUR-BRANCH WALL LIGHTS, ATTRIBUTED TO PIERRE GOUTHIèRE, AFTER A DESIGN BY FRANÇOIS-JOSEPH BÉLANGER circa 1780

Drouot, Paris, March 14, 1983, lot 123
Christie's Monaco, Collection of Karl Lagerfeld, April 29, 2000, lot 44

Wired but not drilled with electricity. Nozzles fitted with removable metal lining to accomodate wiring. One with inverted flower-finial at bottom now bent and forming a cracks; recommend restoration. Lyre stings bents. One semispherical mounts in lyre now detached; recommend securing with screw. Scattered minor casting cracks, rubbing, minor oxidation and surface dirt. In good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The model for the these wall-lights was designed before 1781 by François-Joseph Bélanger for the salon arabesque of the duchesse de Mazarin's hotel particulier, quai Malaquais. The celebrated doreur Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813), who had been working for the duchesse since 1777, provided a detailed bill for his work in the salon arabesque. For these wall-lights, he provided clay models as well as the wax models that he used to cast the wall-lights. He charged 2,600 livres for the gilding and chasing. The back plate was finished in blue silver.  The duchesse died in 1781 and the wall-lights were sold at auction.  Estimated at 300 livres, they were purchased by the duc de Valentois for 800 livres. Gouthière and the work he carried out for the duchesse are discussed by C. Baulez in H. Ottomeyer/P. Pröschel, et al. Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, Vol II, pp. 582-584).

Other examples of this model include a pair in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu (see G. Wilson, Summary Catalogue, Los Angeles, 2001, p. 87, no. 175), a pair of from the Bagues Collection (Connaissance des Arts, Le XVIIIème siècle français, Paris 1958, p. 127, fig. 1), and a pair from the collection of the prince de Beauvau, sold Paris, April 21, 1865, lot 25.  A similar pair in the Gulbenkian Collection, Lisbon, is illustrated Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Catalogue, Lisbon, 1982, p. 283, fig. 574.