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拍品專文
Philippe Caffiéri, maîre-sculpteur in 1754.
NICOLAS AND ANATOLE DEMIDOFF
These princely wall-lights were almost certainly acquired by Nicolas Demidoff in Paris in the 1820s, before being sent to furnish the newly-constructed Palace of San Donato outside Florence. Demidoff was already commissioning new works of art in Paris earlier, including the famous Demidoff Service purchased from Odiot between 1817 and 1820. That he was buying objects and furniture from the ancien regime is testified to by the magnificent Queen Hortense suite of lacquer furniture by Riesener, which he acquired in the Maelrondt sale in Paris, 15 November 1824, lots 306, 307, 308 (sold from the Ojjeh Collection, Christie's Monaco, 11 December 1999, lot 35).
The heir of a rich family whose fortune derived from their vast mining interests, foundries and land holdings in the Ural mountains, Nicolas Demidoff was born in St. Petersburg in 1773. He had a successful military career from an early age and in 1794 he was made a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He married into the Stroganoff family and developed mines and ironworks on his own lands. When Napoleon invaded Russia, he raised his own regiment and fought at the battle of Borodino. The young Nicolas was already in Paris by 1802, when he rented the hôtel Montholon, and gave a ball for which all Paris turned out par ses normes dépenses.
In 1811, he rented the hôtel de Montesson before returning to Russia. Remarkably his collection of paintings survived the burning of Moscow and he donated them to Moscow University. In 1815, he left Russia finally for Paris and his house became the centre for leading figures in the academic and literary world. After the death of his wife in 1818, he travelled to Italy and laid the foundations for his legendary Villa at San Donato, near Florence. To furnish the latter, he embarked on a voracious buying spree for the very best pictures, furniture and objets d'art that became available on the market.
On his death in 1828, his son Anatole inherited the collection and he divided his time equally between Paris and San Donato. At San Donato, he continued to make improvements and ultimately achieved an almost Oriental sense of luxury in the lavish interiors, a sense of which is given by the watercolours now at the Palazzo Pitti, Florence (illustrated above).
Prince Anatole's passion for Bonaparte led to his marriage on 1 November 1840 to Princesse Mathilde, daughter of King Jérome and niece of Napoleon. After the reunification of Italy, Demidoff left Florence and returned to Paris where he organised a first sale of treasures from San Donato in 1863. From 21 February to 28 April 1870, furniture and objects from fourteen of the principal rooms at San Donato were also sold in Paris. Finally, ten years later in 1880, San Donato was finally and definitively stripped of its treasures in the legendary sale.
A QUESTION OF ATTRIBUTION?
In the exceptional quality of the ciseleur and bold, robust scale, these wall-lights recall the suite of goût grec wall-lights supplied by the sculpteur et ciseleur ordinaire du Roy Philippe Caffiéri (1714-1774) for Stanislas-August Poniatowski, King of Poland. These include the set of six wall-lights, one with a drip-pan signed by Caffiéri, in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, as well as a pair sold from the Alexander Collection, Christie's New York, 30 April 1999, lot 130.
Upon his election to the Polish throne in 1764, Stanislas-August initiated an extensive program of renovation and modernization at the Royal Palace in Warsaw. With the help of the French architect Victor Louis and the influential amateur Madame Geoffrin, he proceeded to furnish the palace in the latest goût grec style. Acquisitions were made in Paris in 1764 by the King's agent Casimir Czempinski. Entrusted with a mission to purchase only the most fashionable items, Czempinski conscientiously reported to the King that 'dans tous les achats que je fais, je donne la préférence au bel antique, au Grec' (S. Lorentz, 'Victor Louis et Varsovie', Revue Historique de Bordeaux et du Département de la Gironde, January-March 1958, p. 9). A drawing signed by Caffiéri for the Getty model of wall-light in the University Library, Warsaw, was amongst the presentation drawings sent to Warsaw for approval. It is inscribed 'Invent Et executé par P. Caffiéri Sculpteur Et Ziseleur Du Roy A paris 1768 and qui doit etre placé Ulyaz dans la and Bras pour la Salle d'Ulyaz'.
NICOLAS AND ANATOLE DEMIDOFF
These princely wall-lights were almost certainly acquired by Nicolas Demidoff in Paris in the 1820s, before being sent to furnish the newly-constructed Palace of San Donato outside Florence. Demidoff was already commissioning new works of art in Paris earlier, including the famous Demidoff Service purchased from Odiot between 1817 and 1820. That he was buying objects and furniture from the ancien regime is testified to by the magnificent Queen Hortense suite of lacquer furniture by Riesener, which he acquired in the Maelrondt sale in Paris, 15 November 1824, lots 306, 307, 308 (sold from the Ojjeh Collection, Christie's Monaco, 11 December 1999, lot 35).
The heir of a rich family whose fortune derived from their vast mining interests, foundries and land holdings in the Ural mountains, Nicolas Demidoff was born in St. Petersburg in 1773. He had a successful military career from an early age and in 1794 he was made a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He married into the Stroganoff family and developed mines and ironworks on his own lands. When Napoleon invaded Russia, he raised his own regiment and fought at the battle of Borodino. The young Nicolas was already in Paris by 1802, when he rented the hôtel Montholon, and gave a ball for which all Paris turned out par ses normes dépenses.
In 1811, he rented the hôtel de Montesson before returning to Russia. Remarkably his collection of paintings survived the burning of Moscow and he donated them to Moscow University. In 1815, he left Russia finally for Paris and his house became the centre for leading figures in the academic and literary world. After the death of his wife in 1818, he travelled to Italy and laid the foundations for his legendary Villa at San Donato, near Florence. To furnish the latter, he embarked on a voracious buying spree for the very best pictures, furniture and objets d'art that became available on the market.
On his death in 1828, his son Anatole inherited the collection and he divided his time equally between Paris and San Donato. At San Donato, he continued to make improvements and ultimately achieved an almost Oriental sense of luxury in the lavish interiors, a sense of which is given by the watercolours now at the Palazzo Pitti, Florence (illustrated above).
Prince Anatole's passion for Bonaparte led to his marriage on 1 November 1840 to Princesse Mathilde, daughter of King Jérome and niece of Napoleon. After the reunification of Italy, Demidoff left Florence and returned to Paris where he organised a first sale of treasures from San Donato in 1863. From 21 February to 28 April 1870, furniture and objects from fourteen of the principal rooms at San Donato were also sold in Paris. Finally, ten years later in 1880, San Donato was finally and definitively stripped of its treasures in the legendary sale.
A QUESTION OF ATTRIBUTION?
In the exceptional quality of the ciseleur and bold, robust scale, these wall-lights recall the suite of goût grec wall-lights supplied by the sculpteur et ciseleur ordinaire du Roy Philippe Caffiéri (1714-1774) for Stanislas-August Poniatowski, King of Poland. These include the set of six wall-lights, one with a drip-pan signed by Caffiéri, in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, as well as a pair sold from the Alexander Collection, Christie's New York, 30 April 1999, lot 130.
Upon his election to the Polish throne in 1764, Stanislas-August initiated an extensive program of renovation and modernization at the Royal Palace in Warsaw. With the help of the French architect Victor Louis and the influential amateur Madame Geoffrin, he proceeded to furnish the palace in the latest goût grec style. Acquisitions were made in Paris in 1764 by the King's agent Casimir Czempinski. Entrusted with a mission to purchase only the most fashionable items, Czempinski conscientiously reported to the King that 'dans tous les achats que je fais, je donne la préférence au bel antique, au Grec' (S. Lorentz, 'Victor Louis et Varsovie', Revue Historique de Bordeaux et du Département de la Gironde, January-March 1958, p. 9). A drawing signed by Caffiéri for the Getty model of wall-light in the University Library, Warsaw, was amongst the presentation drawings sent to Warsaw for approval. It is inscribed 'Invent Et executé par P. Caffiéri Sculpteur Et Ziseleur Du Roy A paris 1768 and qui doit etre placé Ulyaz dans la and Bras pour la Salle d'Ulyaz'.