“F. RIGHETTI. F. ROMAE. 1792”

This pair of candelabra is an exceptional and valuable testament to the technical mastery of Francesco Righetti, one of the greatest Roman bronzists of the 18th century. Drawing inspiration from a renowned ancient prototype created in Rome after the Caryatids of the Erechtheion in Athens, the central structure of the candelabra features a patinated bronze canephore. Its raised arms support two gilded bronze acanthus scrolls, upon which the candleholders rest. At the center, a third gilded bronze candleholder sits atop the canephore's head, adorned with lance-shaped leaves at its lower register. The canephores rest on a plinth made of ancient red marble, enriched with four lotus flowers at each corner, along with Carrara white marble. The base is further adorned with a flourishing laurel wreath and a double bronze beaded trim. The canephore is draped in a chiton and robe, featuring the effigy of Medusa.

The prototype that Francesco Righetti replicated is the so-called Torlonia Caryatid of the Eleusis type, now in the Torlonia Collection. At the time Righetti created his work, this piece was owned by Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, who had restored and completed it. Among the leading figures in Rome's Neoclassical decorative arts, Francesco Righetti trained in Luigi Valadier's workshop, where he was involved in modeling and casting small bronze groups. In 1779, Righetti opened his own studio on Via della Purificazione, and in 1789, he established a foundry on Vicolo di Sant’Isidoro, specializing in bronze casting inspired by antiquity to meet the growing demand for neoclassical styles. In 1783, he was honored with the title of silversmith.

Righetti's first major commission was a series of twelve large lead sculptures, patinated in bronze, created for the Dutch banker Henry Hope's residence at Welgelegen near Haarlem. These sculptures replicated masterpieces of both ancient and modern statuary. His work quickly gained recognition, and by the 1780s, Righetti's reputation flourished, attracting commissions from notable patrons such as Russian Prince Nikolaj Borisovič Jusupov (a patron of Antonio Canova) and Swedish Minister Carl Fredrik Fredenheim.