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拍品專文
Bernard II van Risen Burgh, matre in 1730
This exceptional commode, with its jewel-like ormolu mounts, represents arguably one of the earliest manifestations of BVRB's mature style. Although unstamped, in both shape and form, as well as the distinctive frames to the drawers and the overall profile of the angle-mounts, the Alexander commode is closely related to the drawing by BVRB now held in the State Archives, Munich (published in G. Hojer and H. Ottomeyer, Die Mbel der Residenz Mnchen, Munich, 1995, p.89). This latter drawing corresponds directly with the series of commodes supplied by BVRB for the Residenz in Munich circa 1733-5, which were commissioned for the newly-built interiors designed by Franois Cuvillis following the disastrous fire of 1729. Almost certainly supplied by the marchand-mercier Pierre Granier to the Elector Karl-Albrecht of Bavaria, this group is extensively discussed in J.N. Ronfort, J.D. Augarde and B. Langer, 'Nouveau Aspects de la Vie et de l'Oeuvre de Bernard (II) Vanrisamburgh (c.1700-1766)', L'Estampille/L'Objet d'Art, April 1995, pp. 28-52, figs. 3-9.
The distinctive angle-mounts and scrolled sabots of the Alexander commode are directly shared with three bureaux plats stamped by BVRB. The first, originally supplied to the duc de Richelieu, Marchal de Belle-Isle (1696-1788), is discussed in F.J.B. Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, New York, 1966, vol. II, no. 146, pp. 295-7; the second was sold from the Wildenstein Akkram Ojjeh Collection, Sotheby's Monaco, 25-26 June 1979, lot 46; and the third is illustrated in J.Nicolay, L'Art et la Manire des Matres Ebnistes Franais au XVIIIe Sicle, Paris, 1976, vol. 1, p. 85, fig.C. As Watson noted, these identical mounts feature prominently on a bureau plat in the portrait of the Dauphin commissioned from Louis Tocqu (1698-1772) in 1738 and dated 1739, which is now in the Louvre (cat. no.868). Probably supplied by the marchand-mercier Thomas-Joachim Hbert - like the later bureau plat by BVRB supplied for the Cabinet de Monsieur le Dauphin at Versailles on 18 February 1745 - it is possible to date this model of mount to between 1733-9.
The unusual floral-spray mount to the side-doors appears to be found on only two other commodes, both attributed to BVRB. These were sold from the Wildenstein Akkram Ojjeh Collection, Sotheby's Monaco, 25-26 June 1979, lots 38-9.
THE LONSDALE PROVENANCE
This commode is first recorded at 14 and 15 Carlton House Terrace, the London residence of William, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale (d.1844), shortly after he moved there from Cleveland Row in 1837. The latter, who inherited the title of 2nd Earl of Lonsdale in 1807, was an experienced politician and childhood friend of George, Prince of Wales, later George IV. Following the defeat of Napoleon, Lonsdale, like his contemporaries the Duke of Devonshire and the Earl of Shelburne, embarked upon an extravagant buying spree to bring home the spoils of Europe, particularly Greek and Roman sculpture, as well as magnificent French furniture of the ancien regime - including such noteworthy purchases as the variant of Lalive de Jully's gut
Grec bureau plat now at Chantilly. 'Like his friend Lord Hertford, the fourth Marquess, he was an amateur of beauty in women, in horses, in art, and in music, so that Paris, then the centre of the world of celebrities and fashion, drew them both into its silken net' (Reginald, Viscount Esher, Cloud-Capp'd Towers, London, 1927, p. 4).
Lord Lonsdale's passion for the French arts was mirrored by that of the Prince Regent and it is extremely pertinent to note, therefore, that both shared a longstanding working relationship with the renowned London dealer or marchand-mercier Edward Holmes Baldock (d. 1846). Baldock, subsequently appointed 'Purveyor of China, Earthenware and Glass to William IV', was responsible for forming many of the greatest 19th Century English collections of French furniture, including those of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Northumberland, William Beckford and George Byng. Lonsdale's employment of Baldock is recorded in existing invoices, and the trust between them is revealed by the fact that Baldock even acted as packer and remover during Lonsdale's move in 1837 (G. de Bellaigue, 'Edward Holmes Baldock, part 1', The Connoisseur, August 1975, p. 292). Baldock's name appears as a buyer in many of the more spectacular public auctions which took place during the first decades of the nineteenth century, often buying on behalf of his clients, and it is therefore certainly possible that this commode was purchased in one of these sales.
Stencilled with the brand '832(3?) C.H.T.', the commode remained in the family's collection at both Whitehaven and, subsequently, Lowther Castle (built by the 2nd Earl in 1808), until sold at the Lowther Castle sale, 29 April-1 May 1947, as lot 23. This same brand also appeared on the Langlois commode sold by French and Company, Christie's New York, 24 November 1998, lot 35.
This exceptional commode, with its jewel-like ormolu mounts, represents arguably one of the earliest manifestations of BVRB's mature style. Although unstamped, in both shape and form, as well as the distinctive frames to the drawers and the overall profile of the angle-mounts, the Alexander commode is closely related to the drawing by BVRB now held in the State Archives, Munich (published in G. Hojer and H. Ottomeyer, Die Mbel der Residenz Mnchen, Munich, 1995, p.89). This latter drawing corresponds directly with the series of commodes supplied by BVRB for the Residenz in Munich circa 1733-5, which were commissioned for the newly-built interiors designed by Franois Cuvillis following the disastrous fire of 1729. Almost certainly supplied by the marchand-mercier Pierre Granier to the Elector Karl-Albrecht of Bavaria, this group is extensively discussed in J.N. Ronfort, J.D. Augarde and B. Langer, 'Nouveau Aspects de la Vie et de l'Oeuvre de Bernard (II) Vanrisamburgh (c.1700-1766)', L'Estampille/L'Objet d'Art, April 1995, pp. 28-52, figs. 3-9.
The distinctive angle-mounts and scrolled sabots of the Alexander commode are directly shared with three bureaux plats stamped by BVRB. The first, originally supplied to the duc de Richelieu, Marchal de Belle-Isle (1696-1788), is discussed in F.J.B. Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, New York, 1966, vol. II, no. 146, pp. 295-7; the second was sold from the Wildenstein Akkram Ojjeh Collection, Sotheby's Monaco, 25-26 June 1979, lot 46; and the third is illustrated in J.Nicolay, L'Art et la Manire des Matres Ebnistes Franais au XVIIIe Sicle, Paris, 1976, vol. 1, p. 85, fig.C. As Watson noted, these identical mounts feature prominently on a bureau plat in the portrait of the Dauphin commissioned from Louis Tocqu (1698-1772) in 1738 and dated 1739, which is now in the Louvre (cat. no.868). Probably supplied by the marchand-mercier Thomas-Joachim Hbert - like the later bureau plat by BVRB supplied for the Cabinet de Monsieur le Dauphin at Versailles on 18 February 1745 - it is possible to date this model of mount to between 1733-9.
The unusual floral-spray mount to the side-doors appears to be found on only two other commodes, both attributed to BVRB. These were sold from the Wildenstein Akkram Ojjeh Collection, Sotheby's Monaco, 25-26 June 1979, lots 38-9.
THE LONSDALE PROVENANCE
This commode is first recorded at 14 and 15 Carlton House Terrace, the London residence of William, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale (d.1844), shortly after he moved there from Cleveland Row in 1837. The latter, who inherited the title of 2nd Earl of Lonsdale in 1807, was an experienced politician and childhood friend of George, Prince of Wales, later George IV. Following the defeat of Napoleon, Lonsdale, like his contemporaries the Duke of Devonshire and the Earl of Shelburne, embarked upon an extravagant buying spree to bring home the spoils of Europe, particularly Greek and Roman sculpture, as well as magnificent French furniture of the ancien regime - including such noteworthy purchases as the variant of Lalive de Jully's gut
Grec bureau plat now at Chantilly. 'Like his friend Lord Hertford, the fourth Marquess, he was an amateur of beauty in women, in horses, in art, and in music, so that Paris, then the centre of the world of celebrities and fashion, drew them both into its silken net' (Reginald, Viscount Esher, Cloud-Capp'd Towers, London, 1927, p. 4).
Lord Lonsdale's passion for the French arts was mirrored by that of the Prince Regent and it is extremely pertinent to note, therefore, that both shared a longstanding working relationship with the renowned London dealer or marchand-mercier Edward Holmes Baldock (d. 1846). Baldock, subsequently appointed 'Purveyor of China, Earthenware and Glass to William IV', was responsible for forming many of the greatest 19th Century English collections of French furniture, including those of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Northumberland, William Beckford and George Byng. Lonsdale's employment of Baldock is recorded in existing invoices, and the trust between them is revealed by the fact that Baldock even acted as packer and remover during Lonsdale's move in 1837 (G. de Bellaigue, 'Edward Holmes Baldock, part 1', The Connoisseur, August 1975, p. 292). Baldock's name appears as a buyer in many of the more spectacular public auctions which took place during the first decades of the nineteenth century, often buying on behalf of his clients, and it is therefore certainly possible that this commode was purchased in one of these sales.
Stencilled with the brand '832(3?) C.H.T.', the commode remained in the family's collection at both Whitehaven and, subsequently, Lowther Castle (built by the 2nd Earl in 1808), until sold at the Lowther Castle sale, 29 April-1 May 1947, as lot 23. This same brand also appeared on the Langlois commode sold by French and Company, Christie's New York, 24 November 1998, lot 35.