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Lot Essay
These vases, of unusually large scale, are reputedly from Pavlovsk
Palace. Although they do not bear Soviet inventory marks, the model
obviously found favour as a related pair, although entirely gilt and of smaller scale, remains to this day at Pavlovsk and is illustrated in situ in D. Granin et al., Risen from the Ashes, Petrodvorets, Pushkin, Pavlovsk, 1992, p.354, whilst a further pair was sold from Pavlovsk in the Soviet sales at Lepke, Berlin in the 1930's. Both the pair still at Pavlovsk and that sold at Lepke are smaller in scale and executed entirely in gilt-bronze and these appear to be of French manufacture, probably bought by Paul I in Paris. The offered vases - with their very coppery bronze content - are almost certainly therefore early 19th Century versions executed in Russia after the French prototype. This is consistent with the work of the bronzier Friederich Bergenfeldt, for instance, who is known to have copied elements from designs executed by the Parisian bronzier Claude Galle on the vase he signed and dated 1802, which was sold anonymously at Christie's New York, 26 October 2001, lot 298. In spite of the Russian embargo on French gilt-bronzes and clocks, the architect Andrei Voronikhin and Bergenfeldt were strongly influenced by the work of Galle, and the design of the vase closely resembled a vase made by the latter for Schloss Ludwigsburg in 1800 (reproduced in H. Ottomeyer & P. Pröschel et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, vol.I, Munich, 1986, p. 365, fig. 5.12.11).
Bergenfeldt was born in 1768 in Westphalia, and like so many German craftsmen, came to Russia to seek his fortune in the 1790s. He worked first in the atelier of the bronzier Yan Aoustin and then with Charles Dreyer. He then seems to have left St. Petersburg, possibly for Paris. He returned to Russia after the death of Paul I in 1801 and established his workshop on the Fontanka Embankment. His advertisements in the local newspapers announce the sale of all manner of bronze ornaments such as - vases, candelabras, cassolettes, girandoles, chandeliers, veilleuses etc. in the antique taste and of a quality equal to that of French bronzes. He collaborated with Heinrich Gambs, supplying many of the gilt-bronzes for Gambs' furniture, but eventually disappeared from view. Towards the end of his life, he successfully petitioned the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna for a position restoring and cleaning her bronzes. He died in poverty on May 17, 1822, leaving behind a large and destitute family (Sytchev, op.cit.).
PAVLOVSK PALACE
The construction of Pavlovsk Palace was begun by the great Scottish architect Charles Cameron (1745-1812) in 1781 on land given to the Prince and Princess in 1777 by Catherine the Great to celebrate the birth of their son, the future Alexander I. In 1786 Cameron was replaced by the Italian architect Vincenzo Brenna who largely followed the original plans as desired by the Grand Duke and Duchess. The Palace became an Imperial residence in 1796 following the death of Catherine and the accession of Paul I. After a fire of 1803 nearly destroyed the palace, Maria Feodorovna had it reconstructed to the original plans so that her beloved residence would remain intact during her lifetime and beyond. She spent all her time at the palace after the death of Paul I, whose private rooms she conserved in the exact order that he had left them. In the summers she would entertain intellectuals, musicians and friends there. She bequeathed Pavlovsk to her younger son, the Grand Duke Mikhail with an endowment of 1,500,000 roubles for its upkeep, so that the palace would not undergo any significant changes and would remain intact. After her death in 1828 the palace remained virtually unchanged. Following the 1917 Revolution, the Palace was turned into a Museum in June 1918. A large quantity of works of art from the Palace were sold between 1928 and 1932.
Palace. Although they do not bear Soviet inventory marks, the model
obviously found favour as a related pair, although entirely gilt and of smaller scale, remains to this day at Pavlovsk and is illustrated in situ in D. Granin et al., Risen from the Ashes, Petrodvorets, Pushkin, Pavlovsk, 1992, p.354, whilst a further pair was sold from Pavlovsk in the Soviet sales at Lepke, Berlin in the 1930's. Both the pair still at Pavlovsk and that sold at Lepke are smaller in scale and executed entirely in gilt-bronze and these appear to be of French manufacture, probably bought by Paul I in Paris. The offered vases - with their very coppery bronze content - are almost certainly therefore early 19th Century versions executed in Russia after the French prototype. This is consistent with the work of the bronzier Friederich Bergenfeldt, for instance, who is known to have copied elements from designs executed by the Parisian bronzier Claude Galle on the vase he signed and dated 1802, which was sold anonymously at Christie's New York, 26 October 2001, lot 298. In spite of the Russian embargo on French gilt-bronzes and clocks, the architect Andrei Voronikhin and Bergenfeldt were strongly influenced by the work of Galle, and the design of the vase closely resembled a vase made by the latter for Schloss Ludwigsburg in 1800 (reproduced in H. Ottomeyer & P. Pröschel et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, vol.I, Munich, 1986, p. 365, fig. 5.12.11).
Bergenfeldt was born in 1768 in Westphalia, and like so many German craftsmen, came to Russia to seek his fortune in the 1790s. He worked first in the atelier of the bronzier Yan Aoustin and then with Charles Dreyer. He then seems to have left St. Petersburg, possibly for Paris. He returned to Russia after the death of Paul I in 1801 and established his workshop on the Fontanka Embankment. His advertisements in the local newspapers announce the sale of all manner of bronze ornaments such as - vases, candelabras, cassolettes, girandoles, chandeliers, veilleuses etc. in the antique taste and of a quality equal to that of French bronzes. He collaborated with Heinrich Gambs, supplying many of the gilt-bronzes for Gambs' furniture, but eventually disappeared from view. Towards the end of his life, he successfully petitioned the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna for a position restoring and cleaning her bronzes. He died in poverty on May 17, 1822, leaving behind a large and destitute family (Sytchev, op.cit.).
PAVLOVSK PALACE
The construction of Pavlovsk Palace was begun by the great Scottish architect Charles Cameron (1745-1812) in 1781 on land given to the Prince and Princess in 1777 by Catherine the Great to celebrate the birth of their son, the future Alexander I. In 1786 Cameron was replaced by the Italian architect Vincenzo Brenna who largely followed the original plans as desired by the Grand Duke and Duchess. The Palace became an Imperial residence in 1796 following the death of Catherine and the accession of Paul I. After a fire of 1803 nearly destroyed the palace, Maria Feodorovna had it reconstructed to the original plans so that her beloved residence would remain intact during her lifetime and beyond. She spent all her time at the palace after the death of Paul I, whose private rooms she conserved in the exact order that he had left them. In the summers she would entertain intellectuals, musicians and friends there. She bequeathed Pavlovsk to her younger son, the Grand Duke Mikhail with an endowment of 1,500,000 roubles for its upkeep, so that the palace would not undergo any significant changes and would remain intact. After her death in 1828 the palace remained virtually unchanged. Following the 1917 Revolution, the Palace was turned into a Museum in June 1918. A large quantity of works of art from the Palace were sold between 1928 and 1932.