Lot Essay
Nicolas Denis Delaisement, maître in 1776
In the 18th Century this suite consisted of at least three canapés, two bergères, eight fauteuils and a firescreen.
The other recorded elements are divided as follow:
- two fauteuils in the Elizabeth Severance Prentiss Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art (see: W.M. Milliken, Catalogue..., 1944, nos. 27-28, pp. 49-50, pl. XIX). They had previously been in the collection of Paul Dutasta and were probably lot 79 or 80 in the Anthony de Rothschild sale, in these Rooms, 13-14 June 1923
- a canapé in a private collection, probably lot 78 in the Anthony de Rothschild sale
- a firescreen in the James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor (see: G. de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor: Furniture, Clocks and Gilt Bronzes, vol. II, Fribourge, 1974, no. 133, pp. 618-619).
- a further pair of fauteuils that were lot 80 in the Anthony de Rothschild sale
The 19th Century provenance of the firescreen is given by de Bellaigue as the Earls of Essex at Cassiobury Park, from a manuscript note of Miss Alice de Rothschild (d.1922). He tentatively identifies it with lot 93 in the catalogue of a small group of mostly boulle furniture that was sold by the then Earl of Essex in these Rooms, on 12 May 1893. The description of the screen in that catalogue is very vague and notably avoids describing what material it is made of. There seems no reason to doubt the Cassiobury provenance of the waddesdon screen and this raises tantalising questions about the possible provenance of the remainder of the suite. Ten years earlier than the 1893 sale, on 6-7 March 1883, Christie's sold the contents of the Dowager Countess of Essex's house in Belgrave Square. The furniture was almost entirely French and this suggests that the Belgrave Square house contained at least part of the collection of French furniture formed by the 5th Earl of Essex in Paris in the early 19th Century. The seat furniture in the 1883 sale is almost all described as Louis XVI and 'carved and painted'. It is tempting to suggest that the rest of the suite had also been bought by the Earl of Essex but the catalogue descriptions are too vague firmly to support this view
The collection of furniture formed by Louis de Beaumont and his wife at the villa Eilenroc was extraordinary in that the majority of its best elements had been acquired in just two major sales at Christie's in London during the 1920s and that both these sales had been for members of the Rothschild family. Several, like this suite, were acquired at the sale in June 1923, following the death of Sir Anthony de Rothschild. Others were bought in May 1925 at the sale following the death of Almina, Countess of Carnarvon, daughter of Alfred de Rothschild. This suite of seat-furniture was the first of these elements to leave the villa Eilenroc until its contents were dispersed at Sotheby's Monaco, 4-6 December 1992, following the death of Mms. de Beaumont
In the 18th Century this suite consisted of at least three canapés, two bergères, eight fauteuils and a firescreen.
The other recorded elements are divided as follow:
- two fauteuils in the Elizabeth Severance Prentiss Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art (see: W.M. Milliken, Catalogue..., 1944, nos. 27-28, pp. 49-50, pl. XIX). They had previously been in the collection of Paul Dutasta and were probably lot 79 or 80 in the Anthony de Rothschild sale, in these Rooms, 13-14 June 1923
- a canapé in a private collection, probably lot 78 in the Anthony de Rothschild sale
- a firescreen in the James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor (see: G. de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor: Furniture, Clocks and Gilt Bronzes, vol. II, Fribourge, 1974, no. 133, pp. 618-619).
- a further pair of fauteuils that were lot 80 in the Anthony de Rothschild sale
The 19th Century provenance of the firescreen is given by de Bellaigue as the Earls of Essex at Cassiobury Park, from a manuscript note of Miss Alice de Rothschild (d.1922). He tentatively identifies it with lot 93 in the catalogue of a small group of mostly boulle furniture that was sold by the then Earl of Essex in these Rooms, on 12 May 1893. The description of the screen in that catalogue is very vague and notably avoids describing what material it is made of. There seems no reason to doubt the Cassiobury provenance of the waddesdon screen and this raises tantalising questions about the possible provenance of the remainder of the suite. Ten years earlier than the 1893 sale, on 6-7 March 1883, Christie's sold the contents of the Dowager Countess of Essex's house in Belgrave Square. The furniture was almost entirely French and this suggests that the Belgrave Square house contained at least part of the collection of French furniture formed by the 5th Earl of Essex in Paris in the early 19th Century. The seat furniture in the 1883 sale is almost all described as Louis XVI and 'carved and painted'. It is tempting to suggest that the rest of the suite had also been bought by the Earl of Essex but the catalogue descriptions are too vague firmly to support this view
The collection of furniture formed by Louis de Beaumont and his wife at the villa Eilenroc was extraordinary in that the majority of its best elements had been acquired in just two major sales at Christie's in London during the 1920s and that both these sales had been for members of the Rothschild family. Several, like this suite, were acquired at the sale in June 1923, following the death of Sir Anthony de Rothschild. Others were bought in May 1925 at the sale following the death of Almina, Countess of Carnarvon, daughter of Alfred de Rothschild. This suite of seat-furniture was the first of these elements to leave the villa Eilenroc until its contents were dispersed at Sotheby's Monaco, 4-6 December 1992, following the death of Mms. de Beaumont