LOUIS XVI STYLE A pair of gilt-bronze and Rouge Griotte de Campan marble twin light candelabra, France, last quarter 19th century

This model enjoyed enormous success in both the 18th and 19th centuries and takes a number of slightly different forms; the putti are executed in slightly different poses and the ormolu branches, almost always of volute outline, vary in terms of decoration and chasing.  The identity of the original author is not certain, however, there are examples which are attributed to both of the sculpteurs Claude Michel, called Clodion, and Louis Félix de la Rue.  One example attributed to de la Rue is in the Residenz, Munich (illustrated, Ottomeyer, Pröschel et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, p. 210).  This model and its variantes appear to have been particularly prized by English connoisseurs since a number of examples have been recorded in English collections, including one pair conserved in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.