Object Description
A finely cast pair of gilt-bronze five branch wall lights / wall appliqués in the early 18th Century Regence style by Eugene Hazart, (1838-1891) Paris
French Paris made – Circa 1870
These fine Paris-made wall lights feature five finely-cast acanthus decorated branches of serpentine form with bell shaped nozzles and further acanthus decoration to the drip pans. The arms issue from exceptionally well cast satyr mask back plates. The quality of finishing and gilding are extremely high throughout with a wonderful rich gilt patina. Top branches engraved ‘E Hazart’.
Eugène Hazart
A bronzier of great repute, Eugene Hazart was registered as a sculptor and manufacturer of bronzes in Paris in the 17th arrondissement. He was the son of Pierre Louis Hazart, sculptor in Paris (1805-1868) and Marie Françoise Désirée Laffond(1812-1861).
He specialised in reproducing the great French designs of the 18th century for a new audience and these wall lights are certainly in the Régence style. That having been said, we have been unable to locate a precise 18th century comparative for these pieces so they may have been taken from an 18th century printed source instead. Hazart’s name is one of those recorded in the Pannier Frères suppliers’ books. The Pannier brothers ran the exclusive L’Escalier de Cristal, the foremost luxury supplier of its kind in Paris and perhaps Europe during the late 19th century, employing only the very best craftsman to work on their products. Being a member of this select group of craftspeople would have been a considerable feather in Hazart’s cap.