Page 68 - catalogue 2019
P. 68
A PAir oF louiS XV gilT Bronze HiPPocAMPS –
circA 1745-1750
Height: 27 cm. (10 ½ in.) Width: 29 cm. (11 ½ in.)
Width of base: 25.5 cm. (10 in.) Depth of base: 13.3 cm. (5 ¼ in.)
coMPArATiVe liTerATure
These hippocamps originally surmounted a pair of firedogs. A pair with identical hippocamps was
sold Sotheby’s Monaco, 15 June 1996, lot 157.
(The ebony bases are later)
A PAir oF louiS XiV reVerSe PAinTing on glASS VieWS oF THe
cHATeAuX oF MonTceAuX AnD cHAnTillY – circA 1680-1700
In their original silver-mounted gilt poplar frames
Height overall including frames: 17 cm. (6 ¾ in.) Width overall including frames: 39 cm. (15 ¼ in.)
ProVenAnce
Sold Delavenne, lafarge, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 13 June 1990, lot 60
coMPArATiVe liTerATure
Paul guth, ‘Toute la vérité sur le verre églomisé’, Connaissance des Arts, v. 2, no. 66 (August 1957), pp. 28-33.
The art of verre églomisé, involving the reverse painting and gilding of glass, has been practised since antiquity.
rather anachronistically, given he was merely responsible for a revival in its popularity, the technique came to
be named after the Parisian decorator Jean-Baptiste glomy (circa 1711-1786). This pair, however, pre-date
glomy and have been identified with topographic views of royal châteaux first printed around the 1680s.
The source for Montceaux is an etching inscribed as excudit (i.e. published) by the engraver-turned-print-seller
nicolas de Poilly (1627-1696). A careful reading of the Montceaux accounts reveals a payment made in 1679-
1680 for 2,000 livres to the engraver israël Silvestre (1621-1691), for four plates representing the château and
its gardens and grounds. Assuming some delay in making payment to the artist, this etching should thus be
dated late 1670s.
The source for chantilly is a rare view looking from the east to the château’s entrance, which reflects none of
the early 18th century classicising renovations. Here the print is unsigned, but forms part of the collection of
Veües des plus beaux lieux de France et d'Italie. This important series is ascribed to the family of artists headed
by gabrielle Perelle (1604-1677), with Silvestre also involved in engraving the plates, and was published in Paris around 1688.
(Both engravings are reproduced on p. 6).
Similar châteaux views in this medium, whilst rare, are known: one of Marly along with a different aspect of chantilly, also following Perelle prints, fetched 850,000 FF
(hammer) in the same 1990 sale cited in the provenance above. Two smaller oval-shaped views of St cloud and the Berlin Zeughaus (Arsenal) were sold Sotheby’s
Monaco, 22 and 23 June 1991, lot 627.
The estate of Montceaux-les-Meaux was purchased by Henri ii in 1555 and gifted to his wife, catherine de Médicis, who entrusted its embellishment to Philibert
Delorme. The château was later acquired by gabrielle d'estrées, mistress of Henri iV, during which time Jacques ii Androuet du cerceau worked there, before the king
offered it to his wife, Marie de Médicis on the occasion of the birth of the dauphin in 1601. A third great architect, Salomon de Brosse, du cerceau’s nephew, then
modified his uncle’s project, although work ceased in 1622 when Marie decided to build the Palais du luxembourg. The mid-century Fronde saw soldiers lodged at
Montceaux, and by 1665, it was in such a state of disrepair that colbert ordered the architect-engineer charles chamois to begin renovations which lasted many years.
Montceaux had by this time lost some of its prestige, although it was still used for lavish hunts. in the 18th century the château was given by louis XV to the Prince de
conti, who transformed the entrance pavilion into a hunting lodge. confiscated as a bien national in 1793, its demolition began in 1799. All that remains today are
vestiges and ruins.
chantilly’s origins also stretch back to the mid-16th century. of the buildings standing today, the oldest is the Petit château, built around 1560 by Jean Bullant for Anne
de Montmorency. The estate became Bourbon property when it was returned from royal confiscation to charlotte de Montmorency, wife of Henri ii de Bourbon, prince
de condé. Their son, louis ii de Bourbon (the grand condé), organised a courtly life in chantilly that was as vibrant as that of Versailles, inviting all the greatest artists of
his time, including le nôtre who designed the sumptuous gardens. in 1719, the grand condé’s descendant, louis-Henri, duc de Bourbon, had his architect Jean Aubert
design a new classical building on the foundations of the old fortified grand château, as well as the celebrated (and extant) great Stables. in 1793 the domaine was
dismantled in the wake of the French revolution and the grand château was demolished, only to be rebuilt 80 years later by the duc d’Aumale to house his collections,
today’s musée condé.
58
circA 1745-1750
Height: 27 cm. (10 ½ in.) Width: 29 cm. (11 ½ in.)
Width of base: 25.5 cm. (10 in.) Depth of base: 13.3 cm. (5 ¼ in.)
coMPArATiVe liTerATure
These hippocamps originally surmounted a pair of firedogs. A pair with identical hippocamps was
sold Sotheby’s Monaco, 15 June 1996, lot 157.
(The ebony bases are later)
A PAir oF louiS XiV reVerSe PAinTing on glASS VieWS oF THe
cHATeAuX oF MonTceAuX AnD cHAnTillY – circA 1680-1700
In their original silver-mounted gilt poplar frames
Height overall including frames: 17 cm. (6 ¾ in.) Width overall including frames: 39 cm. (15 ¼ in.)
ProVenAnce
Sold Delavenne, lafarge, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 13 June 1990, lot 60
coMPArATiVe liTerATure
Paul guth, ‘Toute la vérité sur le verre églomisé’, Connaissance des Arts, v. 2, no. 66 (August 1957), pp. 28-33.
The art of verre églomisé, involving the reverse painting and gilding of glass, has been practised since antiquity.
rather anachronistically, given he was merely responsible for a revival in its popularity, the technique came to
be named after the Parisian decorator Jean-Baptiste glomy (circa 1711-1786). This pair, however, pre-date
glomy and have been identified with topographic views of royal châteaux first printed around the 1680s.
The source for Montceaux is an etching inscribed as excudit (i.e. published) by the engraver-turned-print-seller
nicolas de Poilly (1627-1696). A careful reading of the Montceaux accounts reveals a payment made in 1679-
1680 for 2,000 livres to the engraver israël Silvestre (1621-1691), for four plates representing the château and
its gardens and grounds. Assuming some delay in making payment to the artist, this etching should thus be
dated late 1670s.
The source for chantilly is a rare view looking from the east to the château’s entrance, which reflects none of
the early 18th century classicising renovations. Here the print is unsigned, but forms part of the collection of
Veües des plus beaux lieux de France et d'Italie. This important series is ascribed to the family of artists headed
by gabrielle Perelle (1604-1677), with Silvestre also involved in engraving the plates, and was published in Paris around 1688.
(Both engravings are reproduced on p. 6).
Similar châteaux views in this medium, whilst rare, are known: one of Marly along with a different aspect of chantilly, also following Perelle prints, fetched 850,000 FF
(hammer) in the same 1990 sale cited in the provenance above. Two smaller oval-shaped views of St cloud and the Berlin Zeughaus (Arsenal) were sold Sotheby’s
Monaco, 22 and 23 June 1991, lot 627.
The estate of Montceaux-les-Meaux was purchased by Henri ii in 1555 and gifted to his wife, catherine de Médicis, who entrusted its embellishment to Philibert
Delorme. The château was later acquired by gabrielle d'estrées, mistress of Henri iV, during which time Jacques ii Androuet du cerceau worked there, before the king
offered it to his wife, Marie de Médicis on the occasion of the birth of the dauphin in 1601. A third great architect, Salomon de Brosse, du cerceau’s nephew, then
modified his uncle’s project, although work ceased in 1622 when Marie decided to build the Palais du luxembourg. The mid-century Fronde saw soldiers lodged at
Montceaux, and by 1665, it was in such a state of disrepair that colbert ordered the architect-engineer charles chamois to begin renovations which lasted many years.
Montceaux had by this time lost some of its prestige, although it was still used for lavish hunts. in the 18th century the château was given by louis XV to the Prince de
conti, who transformed the entrance pavilion into a hunting lodge. confiscated as a bien national in 1793, its demolition began in 1799. All that remains today are
vestiges and ruins.
chantilly’s origins also stretch back to the mid-16th century. of the buildings standing today, the oldest is the Petit château, built around 1560 by Jean Bullant for Anne
de Montmorency. The estate became Bourbon property when it was returned from royal confiscation to charlotte de Montmorency, wife of Henri ii de Bourbon, prince
de condé. Their son, louis ii de Bourbon (the grand condé), organised a courtly life in chantilly that was as vibrant as that of Versailles, inviting all the greatest artists of
his time, including le nôtre who designed the sumptuous gardens. in 1719, the grand condé’s descendant, louis-Henri, duc de Bourbon, had his architect Jean Aubert
design a new classical building on the foundations of the old fortified grand château, as well as the celebrated (and extant) great Stables. in 1793 the domaine was
dismantled in the wake of the French revolution and the grand château was demolished, only to be rebuilt 80 years later by the duc d’Aumale to house his collections,
today’s musée condé.
58
