Chers Amis de L'Ecole du
Bon Gout. Bonjour d'Uzes!
If you look in the
background of the first photo below , you will see, in a painting of the Marquis
de Marigny, a bronze dore wall sconce which because of its obvious neoclassical
design, would be labeled as "Louis XVI style" by most knowledgeable antique
collectors. I propose this label needs to be rethought! The painting is dated
1769 and Louis XV is still alive and the king of France until 1774,
SVP!
Being "Director
General of Royal Buildings , Gardens, Art, Academies, and Manufactories" made
Marigny the most influential style setter of his time, second only possibly to
his sister Mme. de Pompadour!! In 1749 he had taken, in the company of the
architect Soufflot, the draftsman Cochin and the Abbe LeBlanc, a grand study
tour of the ancient monuments of Italy. This "new" firsthand knowledge of the
architecture and decorative arts of the ancient world was then infused into the
architecture and decorative arts of France. The
designs seen in these sconces, the Petite Trianon and even my next door neighbor
here in Uzes, the Hotel de Ville (completed in 1772) are all a direct result of
this infusion. In my opinion this style could be more accurately labeled: "Late
Louis XV style"!
See following photos
of several very similar "Late Louis XV style" sconces, as well as some models
with more completely "vegetal" forms of the Louis XV style, now in stock or
coming in the summer shipment from here.
Call or come by for a visit
in person (337 332
2852) or visit the website at www.auvieuxparisantiques.
Merci cordialement, Robert
E. Smith d'Uzes
Visit the Au Vieux Paris Antiques homepage (click here)
Browse a sampling of the merchandise available (click here)
Browse a sampling of the merchandise available (click here)
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