19th century, Pair of candlesticks

19th Century Pair of candlesticks (2) Bronze and sheet metal, cm height 42.5 x 22 x 13 Mark “JP” at the base     The pair of candlesticks features three flames in embossed and finely chiseled bronze with decorations of foliate scrolls, vegetal motifs, the face of a nobleman within a reserve, and mascarons. In the center, two statuettes are supported (the manufacture's trademark JP is shown under the base) depicting two young people dressed in country clothes, representing the theme of pastoral love, also emphasized by the letter and the dove held by the boy and addressed to his beloved. This theme was highly appreciated by the aristocracy and the nascent bourgeoisie, as an idealization of love between characters from the bucolic sphere. The artist's attention is focused on rendering the polychromy of the porcelains, not hesitating, however, to contrast these bright tones with that of the bronze, playing with the meticulous decoration made with a chisel, which makes some surfaces appear more opaque. The light is thus reflected on the worked surfaces, creating an effect such that the eye can hardly dwell on a particular, also thanks to the extreme attention dedicated to details. The structure of the two objects is made of embossed and finely chiseled bronze sheet metal, which suggests that among the more than eighty workers who worked in the Petit manufactory, there were also some specialized in the casting and processing of bronze. At Sèvres, Musée National de Céramique, are preserved some pieces by the Frenchman Jacob Petit (Paris 1796-1868), a very original Parisian ceramicist with great imagination. From 1822 he joined the Manufacture de Sèvres, subsequently opening one of his own in Fontainbleau, which employed 80 workers and had an atelier in Paris. His artistic production consists mainly of decorative objects such as plates, vases, teapots, perfume bottles, but also lights and even fireplaces. His works are in fact characterized by a bold inventiveness that draws inspiration from the different decorative repertoires, both from past eras and from contemporary ones, even from different geographical areas, such as the East. If for a long time the creations of Jacob Petit were strongly criticized due to the garish colors and the excessive eclecticism that characterized them, today the objects that bear his signature are highly sought after for their originality, the richness of the polychromy and are considered a guarantee of quality. The model to which reference is made for the pair of candlesticks is that of the famous Capodimonte porcelains. Produced from the first half of the 18th century in the Real Fabbrica di Capodimonte, founded in Naples by King Charles of Bourbon and his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony.   (cfr. R. De Plinval de Guillebon, Porcelaine de Paris 1770-1850, Fribourg 1972)