Lot Essay
SIR CRISP GASCOYNE WAS LORD MAYOR OF LONDON IN 1752 AND DURING HIS RESIDENCE HE WAS INVOLVED IN FURNISHING THE NEW MANSION HOUSE, SEE S. JEFFREY, THE MANSION HOUSE, LONDON, 1993, P. 195. HE MARRIED MARGARET, DAUGHTER AND CO-HEIR OF DR JOHN BAMBER OF BIFRONS, CO. ESSEX. DR BAMBER DIED IN 1753 AND HIS ESTATES PASSED TO SIR CRISP'S SON BAMBER GASCOYNE (1725-1791). CRISP WAS KNIGHTED IN 1752. HE DIED ON 28 DECEMBER 1761
THESE ELEGANT CANDELSTICKS, MINGLING ROMAN, CHINESE AND FRENCH PICTURESQUE ELEMENTS, ARE COMPOSED OF VASE-CAPPED AND FLOWER FESTOONED HERMS PRESENTED BY WELCOMING CHINESE RUSTICS, WHO STAND ON ACANTHUS-WRAPPED AND SHELL ENCRUSTED 'TRIPOD MOUNDS'. WHILE EXOTIC ORIENTAL SATYR-MASKS EMERGE ON THE VASE-SHAPED NOZZLES, THE PLINTHS INCORPORATE ESCUTCHEONS FESTOONED WITH FRUIT AND FLOWERS, EMBLEMATIC OF PEACE AND PLENTY, AND DISPLAY THE GASCOYNE CREST TOGETHER WITH VENUS' SHELL BADGE AND ENVY'S MEDUSA MASK. THE CANDELSTICKS EPITOMISE THE GEORGE II 'MODERN' STYLE AS ILLUSTRATED IN T. CHIPPENDALE'S GENTLEMAN AND CABINET-MAKER'S DIRECTOR, 1754, WHILE THEIR ELEGANTLY SERPENTINED FORM AND FLOWER WREATHED BRANCHES TYPIFY THE CONTEMPORARY ST. MARTIN'S LANE STYLE PROMOTED BY WILLIAM HOGARTH'S ANALYSIS OF BEAUTY, 1753. THEIR PATTERN RELATES CLOSELY TO THE ENGRAVINGS ISSUED BY PIERRE-EDME BABEL (D.1770), THE FRENCH DESIGNER AND MODELLER OF LONG ACRE AND AUTHOR OF AN NEW BOOK OF ORNAMENTS FOR GLASSES, TABLES, CHAIRS AND SCONCES WITH TROPHIES IN THE CHINESE WAY, 1752 AND A NEW BOOK OF CHINA ORNAMENTS, 1753, (SEE M. SNODIN, ROCOCO ART AND DESIGN IN HOGARTH'S ENGLAND, 1984, P.168, NO.L22). THEY WERE NO DOUBT COMMISSIONED BY SIR GASCOYNE CRISP (D.1761), SHORTLY AFTER HIS INVOLVEMENT AS LORD MAYOR OF LONDON (1752-1753), AND THE FURNISHING OF THE NEW MANSION HOUSE, (SEE ABOVE).
PHILLIPS GARDEN PURCHASED PAUL DE LAMERIE'S TOOLS AND PATTERNS ON THE LATTER'S DEATH IN 1751 AND IT IS PERHAPS PARTLY THESE WHICH ENABLED HIM TO PRODUCE OBJECTS OF SUCH HIGH QUALITY AND TO BE IN A. G. GRIMWADE'S WORDS 'AN ADMIRABLE EXPONET OF THE ROCOCO STYLE', (A. G. GRIMWADE, LONDON GOLDSMITHS, 1697-1837, THEIR MARKS AND THEIR LIVES, LONDON, 1982, P.519). ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WORK BY GARDEN IN THE HIGH ROCOCO STYLE ARE A PAIR OF IMPORTANT BEER JUGS OF 1754, SOLD SOTHEBY'S, 24 APRIL 1969, LOT 192 AND ILLUSTRATED IN H. MüLLER, THE THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA COLLECTION, EUROPEAN SILVER, LONDON, 1986, NO. 13. A NUMBER OF HIS TRADE CARDS SURVIVE WHICH DEPICT THE INTERIOR OF HIS SHOP, A RARE GLIMPSE OF AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY GOLDSMITHS' PREMISES.
THESE ELEGANT CANDELSTICKS, MINGLING ROMAN, CHINESE AND FRENCH PICTURESQUE ELEMENTS, ARE COMPOSED OF VASE-CAPPED AND FLOWER FESTOONED HERMS PRESENTED BY WELCOMING CHINESE RUSTICS, WHO STAND ON ACANTHUS-WRAPPED AND SHELL ENCRUSTED 'TRIPOD MOUNDS'. WHILE EXOTIC ORIENTAL SATYR-MASKS EMERGE ON THE VASE-SHAPED NOZZLES, THE PLINTHS INCORPORATE ESCUTCHEONS FESTOONED WITH FRUIT AND FLOWERS, EMBLEMATIC OF PEACE AND PLENTY, AND DISPLAY THE GASCOYNE CREST TOGETHER WITH VENUS' SHELL BADGE AND ENVY'S MEDUSA MASK. THE CANDELSTICKS EPITOMISE THE GEORGE II 'MODERN' STYLE AS ILLUSTRATED IN T. CHIPPENDALE'S GENTLEMAN AND CABINET-MAKER'S DIRECTOR, 1754, WHILE THEIR ELEGANTLY SERPENTINED FORM AND FLOWER WREATHED BRANCHES TYPIFY THE CONTEMPORARY ST. MARTIN'S LANE STYLE PROMOTED BY WILLIAM HOGARTH'S ANALYSIS OF BEAUTY, 1753. THEIR PATTERN RELATES CLOSELY TO THE ENGRAVINGS ISSUED BY PIERRE-EDME BABEL (D.1770), THE FRENCH DESIGNER AND MODELLER OF LONG ACRE AND AUTHOR OF AN NEW BOOK OF ORNAMENTS FOR GLASSES, TABLES, CHAIRS AND SCONCES WITH TROPHIES IN THE CHINESE WAY, 1752 AND A NEW BOOK OF CHINA ORNAMENTS, 1753, (SEE M. SNODIN, ROCOCO ART AND DESIGN IN HOGARTH'S ENGLAND, 1984, P.168, NO.L22). THEY WERE NO DOUBT COMMISSIONED BY SIR GASCOYNE CRISP (D.1761), SHORTLY AFTER HIS INVOLVEMENT AS LORD MAYOR OF LONDON (1752-1753), AND THE FURNISHING OF THE NEW MANSION HOUSE, (SEE ABOVE).
PHILLIPS GARDEN PURCHASED PAUL DE LAMERIE'S TOOLS AND PATTERNS ON THE LATTER'S DEATH IN 1751 AND IT IS PERHAPS PARTLY THESE WHICH ENABLED HIM TO PRODUCE OBJECTS OF SUCH HIGH QUALITY AND TO BE IN A. G. GRIMWADE'S WORDS 'AN ADMIRABLE EXPONET OF THE ROCOCO STYLE', (A. G. GRIMWADE, LONDON GOLDSMITHS, 1697-1837, THEIR MARKS AND THEIR LIVES, LONDON, 1982, P.519). ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WORK BY GARDEN IN THE HIGH ROCOCO STYLE ARE A PAIR OF IMPORTANT BEER JUGS OF 1754, SOLD SOTHEBY'S, 24 APRIL 1969, LOT 192 AND ILLUSTRATED IN H. MüLLER, THE THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA COLLECTION, EUROPEAN SILVER, LONDON, 1986, NO. 13. A NUMBER OF HIS TRADE CARDS SURVIVE WHICH DEPICT THE INTERIOR OF HIS SHOP, A RARE GLIMPSE OF AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY GOLDSMITHS' PREMISES.