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拍品专文
While much of 18th century Russian furniture was inspired by French and German designs, Russian craftsmen were clearly looking to England when making this games table. It is part of a group which were almost all produced in the workshops of St. Petersburg at the end of the 18th century - other close examples were in the Hermitage, the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo, Peterhof Palace, Kuskovo Palace and the former Stroganov Palace (sold Rudolph Lepke's Kunst Auctions-Haus, Berlin, 12-13 May, 1931, lots 189 and 193).
All of these examples combine delicate, scrolling vine and acanthus leaves, together with flower-filled urns, paterae and other neoclassical motifs. They recall the inlaid-furniture and architectural stucco-work prevalent in late 18th century England. English pattern books -- and even fine pieces of English furniture (Catherine the Great ordered commodes from John Linnell for Tsarskoe Selo in 1780) were available to St. Petersburg cabinetmakers. Some of the local interior architecture itself was not only English-inspired but designed and built by English architects, most notably Charles Cameron's work for both Catherine and Paul and Maria at the Catherine Palace and Pavlovsk. In this table the design elements are treated with much less restraint than in English furniture -- which would not have the dense profusion of the decorative motifs displayed here. So this exuberant design (and especially the following lot with the prominent inlaid eagle) proves that the provenance of this table is proudly Russian.
All of these examples combine delicate, scrolling vine and acanthus leaves, together with flower-filled urns, paterae and other neoclassical motifs. They recall the inlaid-furniture and architectural stucco-work prevalent in late 18th century England. English pattern books -- and even fine pieces of English furniture (Catherine the Great ordered commodes from John Linnell for Tsarskoe Selo in 1780) were available to St. Petersburg cabinetmakers. Some of the local interior architecture itself was not only English-inspired but designed and built by English architects, most notably Charles Cameron's work for both Catherine and Paul and Maria at the Catherine Palace and Pavlovsk. In this table the design elements are treated with much less restraint than in English furniture -- which would not have the dense profusion of the decorative motifs displayed here. So this exuberant design (and especially the following lot with the prominent inlaid eagle) proves that the provenance of this table is proudly Russian.