Large pair of Empire candlesticks, model by Louis-Isidore Choiselat

An exquisite and exceptionally rare pair of French Empire candlesticks, finely cast in chiselled and mercury-gilded bronze, attributed to Parisian bronzier Louis-Isidore Choiselat (1784-1853). A closely related pair is housed in the collection of the Mobilier National in Paris, having been delivered by Louis-Isidore Choiselat to the Château de Saint-Cloud. Another related pair was supplied to the Château de Rambouillet for the second salon of the Empress’s apartment. Each candlestick is of baluster form, with the shaft beautifully adorned with palm leaves and a stylised botanical motif of flowering plants, rendered in a timeless and near-abstract design. The shafts rise from circular bases, each encircled by an annular frieze of finely chased flowers and foliage.


Executed with remarkable skill and artistry, this pair exemplifies the superior craftsmanship of Choiselat, a master bronzier of the Empire period. The subtle interplay between matte and burnished gilding enhances the sculptural quality of the design, lending the pieces both visual richness and textural depth.


This pair of Empire candlesticks is a fine example of French Empire-period bronze work, created by one of the leading bronziers of the time. The pair remains in an excellent state of preservation, retaining its mercury gilding with a beautifully nuanced surface.


Origin: France, Empire period circa 1810.

Dimensions: Height 28 cm (11?), Base diameter: 12.5 cm (5?).


Literature
- Closely related models in the collection of the Mobilier National, Paris, inv. nrs GML-11677-001, GML-10964-001 and GML-3733-001.
- Marie-France Dupuy-Baylet, “L’Heure, le Feu, la Lumière. Les bronzes du Mobilier national 1800-1870”, Éditions Faton, 2010, p. 251, notice 136.
- Marie-France Dupuy-Baylet, “De bronze et de Cristal. Objets d’ameublement XVIIIe – XIXe siècles du Mobilier National”, Éditions Faton, 2020, p. 403, notice 234.