CIRCLE OF ANDREA BRUSTOLON, EARLY 18TH CENTURY

The treatment and scale of the bold carving of this boxwood side table are closely related to the work of the celebrated Venetian carver and intagliatore Andrea Brustolon (1662-1732), who is known for his exuberant carved furniture incorporating figures. The present example is very similar to a group of three sculpted tables formerly in the Demidoff collection at Villa Pratolino, near Fiesole, Florence, and was probably executed by the same hand. These were subsequently sold in Italy, Sotheby's House Sale, 21-24 April 1969, lots 64-65. Various designs for tables are known by Brustolon, and in the Villa Pratolino sale catalogue, the group of side tables was attributed him. However, Alvar González-Palacios, who reveals a fourth table as part of the group, re-attributes them to a thusfar unknown artist working in the circle of Brustolon (Arte Illustrata, 1969, nn. 17-18, p. 118, and Il Tempio del Gusto, Milan, 1986, Vol. 1, p. 323). The main difference between the Demidoff tables and the present example are the feet. While those on the former are of bracket form, the latter have realistically-carved dragon feet. Interestingly, related dragons feature on Brustolon's exceptional nine carved vase stand of the finimento Venier, arguably his most important achievement, called 'Schiavi etiopi', commissioned by Pietro Venier. One of these stands is signed and dated 1706 (illustrated in C. Alberici, Il Mobile Veneto, Milan, 1980, p. 172, ill. 229-30).