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Lot Essay
A PRESTIGIOUS PROVENANCE
The Espirito Santo family has been synonymous with banking in Portugal since José Maria Espirito Santo Silva founded a financial establishment and the family bank bearing his name in 1884. Succeeded by his two brothers, Ricardo and Manuel, the Espirito Santo empire grew to be prominent in both banking and insurance, as well as plantations, carrying important coffee, sugar and palm-oil interests in the Portuguese colonies. Celebrated for their hospitality in Lisbon, Cascaìs or at their hunting lodge in the Alentejo, the Espirito Santo family counted the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, as well as the Spanish, Italian and French Royal families amongst their friends.
A CELEBRATED éBéNISTE
René Dubois (1737-1799, maître in 1755) was the son of Jacques Dubois (1693-1763, maître in 1742), arguably one of the most accomplished ébénistes of the Louis XV era. Following his father's death in 1763, René took charge of the atelier under the direction of his mother and continued to use his father's stamp. In 1772, René's mother granted him full direction of the workshop, selling the stock to him for 25,002 livres, such a significant sum indicating the continued importance of the workshop. René is recorded in the 1779 Almanach général des marchands as the ébéniste de la Reine, also counting the Prince de Soubise amongst his most important patrons.
The Espirito Santo family has been synonymous with banking in Portugal since José Maria Espirito Santo Silva founded a financial establishment and the family bank bearing his name in 1884. Succeeded by his two brothers, Ricardo and Manuel, the Espirito Santo empire grew to be prominent in both banking and insurance, as well as plantations, carrying important coffee, sugar and palm-oil interests in the Portuguese colonies. Celebrated for their hospitality in Lisbon, Cascaìs or at their hunting lodge in the Alentejo, the Espirito Santo family counted the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, as well as the Spanish, Italian and French Royal families amongst their friends.
A CELEBRATED éBéNISTE
René Dubois (1737-1799, maître in 1755) was the son of Jacques Dubois (1693-1763, maître in 1742), arguably one of the most accomplished ébénistes of the Louis XV era. Following his father's death in 1763, René took charge of the atelier under the direction of his mother and continued to use his father's stamp. In 1772, René's mother granted him full direction of the workshop, selling the stock to him for 25,002 livres, such a significant sum indicating the continued importance of the workshop. René is recorded in the 1779 Almanach général des marchands as the ébéniste de la Reine, also counting the Prince de Soubise amongst his most important patrons.