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Lot Essay
Aleksandr Sergeevich Stroganov (1734-1811) travelled widely in his youth adding to his family collections. He studied chemistry, physics and metallurgy in Paris for two years between 1755-1757. On returning to Russia he married Countess Anna Mikhailovna Vorontsova (1743-1769), the daughter of the Vice-Chancellor. In 1760 he became a count of the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1763 he started divorce proceedings but these were cut short by the death of his wife. Shortly after, he married, secondly, Ekaterina Petrovna Trubetskaya (1744-1815) and the couple moved to Paris where their son was born in 1772, followed by a daughter a few years later who died in childhood. They returned from Paris to St. Petersburg in 1779 where the Princess left him for Catherine II's favourite Ivan Korsakov.
Count Stroganov was extremely close to Catherine the Great and travelled with her often in Russia. He was also well placed with the subsequent Emperors, Paul I and Alexander I. He was a great patron of the arts and for eleven years from 1800 he was President of The Academy of Arts.
The maker of this magnificent soup-tureen and stand, Jean-François Dapcher, was born in 1721 and apprenticed to the illustrious Thomas Germain, Goldsmith to the King at the Galeries du Louvre in 1743. Following the latter's death in 1748, Dapcher completed his apprenticeship with Thomas Germain's son, François-Thomas Germain, becoming a master in 1756. He is recorded as working at the Pont Nôtre Dame in 1766 and seems to have ceased working prior to 1776.
In 1763 he started divorce proceedings but these were cut short by the death of his wife. Shortly after, he married, secondly, Ekaterina Petrovna Trubetskaya (1744-1815) and the couple moved to Paris where their son was born in 1772, followed by a daughter a few years later who died in childhood. They returned from Paris to St. Petersburg in 1779 where the Princess left him for Catherine II's favourite Ivan Korsakov.
Count Stroganov was extremely close to Catherine the Great and travelled with her often in Russia. He was also well placed with the subsequent Emperors, Paul I and Alexander I. He was a great patron of the arts and for eleven years from 1800 he was President of The Academy of Arts.
The maker of this magnificent soup-tureen and stand, Jean-François Dapcher, was born in 1721 and apprenticed to the illustrious Thomas Germain, Goldsmith to the King at the Galeries du Louvre in 1743. Following the latter's death in 1748, Dapcher completed his apprenticeship with Thomas Germain's son, François-Thomas Germain, becoming a master in 1756. He is recorded as working at the Pont Nôtre Dame in 1766 and seems to have ceased working prior to 1776.