[classical rococo style]
Male Narrator J. Paul Getty had a fondness for gilt bronze objects like these wall lights, designed to hold candles. The artistry of such objects reached its height during the middle of the eighteenth century, when the exuberant rococo style flourished. Their asymmetric forms and complex, reflective surfaces make these lights extraordinary examples of the style.
Rococo designs were also known for their playfulness. On one light, you’ll see a dog at the base hunting a bird perched on the shorter arm. The other light features a cat at the base pursuing a squirrel above. Hunting scenes were typically found in dining rooms, so they might have been created for such a space.
No other wall lights of this design are known, so the pair may be unique. Getty purchased them in London in 1950. They hung in Sutton Place, his estate in England, where he lived from 1959 until his death in 1976. Although we do not know which room he displayed them in, their scale suggests that they might have been better suited to one of the estate’s smaller, private rooms.
