TWO EMPIRE EMBROIDERED PANELS

ATTRIBUTED TO AUGUSTIN-FRANÇOIS-ANDRÉ PICOT, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Details

TWO EMPIRE EMBROIDERED PANELS
ATTRIBUTED TO AUGUSTIN-FRANÇOIS-ANDRÉ PICOT, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
One silver-thread and silk-embroidered and blue paste set green velvet, within a later beechwood and parcel-gilt frame with inscription plaque; the other with a cotton-embroidered black fabric panel and related polychrome preparatory drawing, within a later parcel-gilt and ink inscribed matting and beechwood frame, the first to reverse with seal and stamp BIBLIOTHÈQUE DE SAN DONATO, the other stencilled to reverse 1089 and inscribed in pencil N.C. 1766 and in black chalk X71 2
10 x 16 in. (26 x 41 cm.) and 12½ x 12 in. (32 x 30 cm.)
The plaque of first inscribed Fragment of Napoleon's Church Robe par Picot brodeur de L'Empereur et de L'Impératrice rue Saint-Thomas-du-Louvre, the other inscribed Sample of material and design used on a Vest for Napoleon from the collection of B. Brocard, successor to Piot [sic], "Brodeur de l'Empereur 1804" (2)

Provenance

The silver-embroidered panel, the Library at San Donato, Florence.
The blue-embroidered panels, possibly B. Brocard, successor to Augustin-François-André Picot, embroiderer to Napoleon I.

Lot Essay

Stamped with crowned monogram 'A' and 'Bibliothèque de San Donato', the embroidered fabric sample once formed part of Prince Anatole N. Demidoff's collection in his library at Villa San Donato to the North of Florence. Born in St. Petersburg and raised in luxury by his mother Baronne Elisabeth Stroganoff, Prince Anatole (1813 - 1870) participated in the construction of the railway system between Florence, Livorno and the northern boundaries and in 1840 was granted the title Prince of San Donato by Leopold II. Avid art collector and bibliophile, Anatole amassed a fine collection of Old Master paintings and his library numbered close to 40,000 books. Anatole, who married Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, showed a deep fondness for the Napoleonic heritage and acquired the former home in exile of Napoleon Bonaparte on the island of Elba from members of the Bonaparte family. He had erected a Museum dedicated to the Emperor in 1859.

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