These elegantly designed and finely executed ormolu candlesticks belong to a small group, all masterfully cast with great finesse between circa 1780 and 1785, which have been associated with commissions by the marchand mercier Dominique Daguerre from the eminent bronzier François Rémond. Their delicate à l’antique form reflects the fashionable étrusque style promoted by the influential dessinateur Jean-Demosthène Dugourc (1749-1825). The design of these candlesticks relates to the celebrated model with figural uprights by Dugourc featured in a drawing by him now preserved in the collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (Inv. GF 21 n. 38.378). This drawing is part of an album comprising a series of furniture designs for both Madame Élisabeth and the Comte de Provence. The album is inscribed Dessin par J.D. Dugourc, architecte et dessinateur du Cabinet de Monsieur Frère du Roi. Paris. 1790.

Among the known examples of this model of candlestick, two are known to have been supplied with removable candle-branches, including a pair preserved at the White House in Washington D.C. The White House pair was incorporated into the American presidential collections in 1952, during Harry S. Truman's term of office. It was presented as a diplomatic gift from Vincent Auriol, then President of the French Republic. During Jacqueline Kennedy's tenure as First Lady, these candelabra were placed on the mantel of the Red Room fireplace, a position they retained until redecoration in the late 2010s. Another pair fitted with candle-branches was sold Christie's, New York, 1 February 2024, lot 21. Other examples, including the present pair, were intended to be used solely as candlesticks. A second pair was sold alongside the present lot the estate of Nelson A. Rockefeller, Sotheby’s, New York, 20 May 2005, lot 29, and subsequently sold sold from the collection of Ruth Leavitt, widow of the celebrated collector Robert Lehman, Sotheby’s, New York, 18 November 2010, lot 223.

FRANCOIS REMOND AND DOMINIQUE DAGUERRE
The delicate à l’antique detailing of these refined candlesticks, in particular the distinctive beaded swags beneath the capitals, are typical of the work of the ciseleur-doreur François Rémond. After an apprenticeship under the tutelage of the gilder Pierre-Antoine Vial, Rémond attained the rank of master on December 14, 1774. He worked mainly for the illustrious marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre, who also collaborated with renowned cabinet-makers such as David Roentgen and Jean-Henri Riesener. Rémond enjoyed a distinguished private clientele, including Queen Marie-Antoinette, the Comte d'Artois, the Duc de Penthièvre and the Comte d'Adhémar. As for Dominique Daguerre, Simon-Philippe Poirier's successor as marchand-mercier, he specialized in selling luxury items to the court and, later, to the English aristocracy. In 1786, an exclusive contract with Josiah Wedgwood fleshed out his business, giving him exclusive rights to sell Wedgwood's creations in Paris. In the 1780s, Daguerre expanded his business by opening a shop in Piccadilly, London, where he supplied objets d'art to George, Prince of Wales, and his entourage, including the Duke of Bedford and Earl Spencer.