Description

What I like

I like this pair of “Caryatide” wall lights for their very poetic side, very typical of the great artist Félix Agostini: of course, we think of Diego Giacometti’s lights, with whom he rubbed shoulders, but Agostini prefers to work with gilded bronze and knew how to build a very personal universe: characters or elongated subjects, quite jagged; one can also think of the work of Germaine Richier. All this is understandable, the three artists work at the same time…

On the other hand, I like the fact that we are dealing here with the “Caryatide” model with three arms of lights, much rarer than the one with two lights: the presence of the middle arm gives a more marked volume to these wall lights. , which are real sculptures. We will obviously see a character, ending in a scaled sheath, holding 3 arms!

I like the fact that this “Caryatide” model created in 1956 is one of his first creations, already perfectly accomplished.

Of course, as in all the old production of Félix Agostini, the quality of the bronze is marvelous: in addition to being sculptures, these sconces are also marvelous works of art: we find the high quality of the works of art of the 18th and 19th century: French craftsmen are like no other!!

In addition, the old patina and the carving are very beautiful.

Finally, we chose a reinterpretation of their original lampshade, which highlights the volume of these sconces, in an ivory cotton, whose shape of a swollen and domed band follows the volume created by the three branches of the sconces.

Technical description

Félix Agostini (1910-1980)

Pair of gilt bronze sconces with three lights, “Caryatide” model, edition F. Agostini Paris, 1956, old edition.

A shaft simulating a woman’s body holds two side arms of the same height and a central arm at the front and a little higher. These arms are topped with fake candles concealing the electrical assembly and housing the three bulbs.

Modern lampshade in ivory cotton in the shape of a domed and swollen headband.

Bibliography:

Model reproduced in a period advertisement published in Revue Maison et Jardin, number 40, November 1956, page 47

Dimensions and weight

The wall lights alone up to the bulb:

Height:60 cm – Width: 33 cm – Depth: 16 cm

The wall lights with the lampshade:

Height:70 cm – Width:47 cm – Depth: 17,5 cm

Weight: 1,5 kg each

Mix & Match

This pair of sconces is an art object and a sculpture: it animates the walls thanks to the gilded bronze with an old patina that shimmers, and thanks to this ethereal character so typical of Félix Agostini. With its very particular ivory lampshade which takes up the models of the master, it gives a character of elegance and refinement to your room.

It can also light up a room with 18th or 19th century furniture, because of its preciousness. But of course, she will like to accompany the large desk in walnut and chromed and black lacquered metal from the Banque de France, but also the pair of G10 armchairs by Pierre Guariche, covered in peacock blue cloth or in off-white terry cloth from the Bisson house. Brunel! The quality of manufacture of these pieces of furniture, their clean and just design calls for the beauty of our wall lights!

But these wall lights and the pair of Grasshopper armchairs by Sonja Wasseur embellished with our bar table by Lodovico Acerbis will each shine with their metallic reflections and the beauty of their lines: in all three cases, we are in front of sculptures!

But its poetic universe, its sober gilding allows it of course to get along with our large tapestry by Enrique Broglia “Composicion metallica”, enlivened by the reflections of the gilded brass inserts in the brown and beige weft: in both cases, quality of design and production!

On Julian de Covemaeker’s coffee table, with its abstract bronze decor, I would gladly place Maurice Legendre’s sculpture, Warrior II, produced by Daum in an exceptional material: crystal paste: this Warrior has such a worked surface than our wall lights, such a dreamlike universe!