Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier was probably behind the design of these candlesticks, but the identity of the craftsman who carried out the bronze work is unknown.

Meissonnier was a multifaceted artist who stood out as a creative genius in the decorative arts, inventing the most eloquent forms and ornaments of the Rococo. He made numerous models for light fittings similar to those in the Gulbenkian Collection, such as the so-called ‘silver sculpture candlesticks’.

The creation of this ensemble probably relates to the birth of Louis, Dauphin of France, in 1729, the first son of Louis XV and Maria Lesczinska and heir to the throne. In fact, the three figures on the stem of each candlestick may symbolise the first three daughters of these monarchs – Louise-Élisabeth, Anne-Henriette and Marie-Louise –, as if supporting the capital where the candle would be placed and whose light might represent the new heir, securing the House of Bourbon’s future.