Pair of Eight Light Candelabra c. 1785th century

These gilded bronze candelabras were crafted by Clodion, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Look at how the figures are almost engulfed by the gold, which seems to sprout organically, blooming into candle holders. The materiality here is fascinating. The rough, dark bronze contrasts with the smooth, reflective gilding. The textures play off each other – the cool metal against the warm light it’s meant to cast. Notice how the artist used the bronze to sculpt these classical figures, their drapery clinging in delicate folds, then set them in these exuberant golden structures. There’s a tension, right? Between the weight of the bronze and the lightness of the gilded foliage. The figures are actively holding up a golden pillar, or a golden tree. In a way, this reminds me of Rodin, and his interest in movement, and those subtle gestures and expressions that reveal something deeper about human nature. It is like the art is holding itself up. This is an art that knows it is art, a performance of skill.