French Empire winged wall lights with classical figures
A pair of French Empire style ormolu sculptural wall lights, mid-19th century, modelled as male and female winged classical figures, the female figure draped in a flowing chiton, the male figure lightly draped with a quiver sung across his back, each of their upstretched arms supporting a four light candelabrum decorated in relief with classical figures, anthemia, and other motifs, each 37.40 in. high (approximately)
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- Ormolu - Ormolu was popular with French craftsmen in the 18th and 19th century for ornamental fittings for furniture, clocks and other decorative items. True ormolu is gilt bronze, that is bronze that has been coated with gold using a mercury amalgam. Due to the health risks associated with using mercury, this method of creating ormolu was discontinued in France in the 1830s. A substitute was developed consisting of about 75% copper and 25% zinc, however it was inferior to the bronze version. It was often lacquered to prevent it tarnishing.
- Empire Style - The Empire style was a version of neo-classicism popular from 1800 to 1830, coinciding with the rule of Napoleon I from 1840-15. In England the style corrosponds with the Regency style and in the United States to the Federal style.
The style is inspired by classical Rome and Greece, as reflected in the decorative motifs in the the design such as paterae, guilloches, acanthus and swags, and pieces are lavishly decorated with applied gilded decoration.
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