Andiron (feu or chenet) (one of a pair) 1775 - 1785

Curator: Immediately striking, isn't it? A symphony of gold. Editor: Indeed! This is one half of a pair of bronze and gilt andirons crafted between 1775 and 1785, likely by François Rémond. Each of them has grandeur appropriate for holding logs. Curator: Appropriate is the word! This period, just before the French Revolution, was one of conspicuous consumption and display. Just imagine this glinting in the firelight of a vast salon. Editor: What catches my eye is the sheer ornamental density. Look at the foliage cascading down the front and the texture of the eagle's feathers as it arches its wings. And this gilding! The way the light dances across its sculpted forms really is Baroque in the finest definition. Curator: Agreed. Consider its allegorical weight as well. Those eagles, regal, perched atop classical faces holding wreaths, perhaps symbols of victory or status within their beaks. This speaks to an obsession with classicism amongst the elite. This wouldn't simply be an andiron; it's a statement. Editor: Good point. The piece feels very much of its era and almost foreshadows what we’re thinking. What do you take away from it, beyond its function as a piece of hearth furniture? Curator: It illustrates the power of objects to communicate societal values, the blurring lines between art, status, and domestic life in pre-Revolutionary France. How about you? Editor: The texture and details evoke a kind of sensuous opulence that the period does best. What makes Rémond exceptional to me is this layering of material with symbolism. And this single piece is more interesting to me, not merely the whole set. The symmetry, scale and gilding makes it shine. Curator: Absolutely. It is a fascinating lens through which to view the past. Editor: Indeed.