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Lot Essay
These impressive pedestals closely follow a design by André-Charles Boulle, engraved and published after 1707 by Mariette on the title page of his Nouveaux Deisseins de Meubles et Ouvrages de Bronze et de Marquetrie Inventés et gravés par André-Charles Boulle. These pedestals were enormously popular throughout the 18th century, and particularly in the second half with the increasing taste for sculpture collecting and Picture Galleries; used as architectural punctuation these pedestals were made at a height ideal for the appreciation of three-dimensional works of art.
In the acte de délaissement of 1715, whereby Boulle made over his workshop to his sons, are listed :
'Une contrepartie imparfaite du serre-papier accompagné de deux pieds d'estaux de M. Bourvalais, valant 500l
Neuf pieds d'estaux contreparties placqués mais imparfaits quant aux bronzes 150l
Plusiers escabellons oòu guesnes à porter des bronzes comme ceux de M. de Montargis 220l ou autres'
In the inventory taken following Boulle's death in 1732, further mention is made of this model:-
'no. 30 Une boeste de modèles de franges et houppes des pieds d'estaux de cabinet de M. Bourvalais pesant treize livres, prisés à raison de vingt sols la livre XIII (131)' (J.-P. Samoyault, André-Charles Boulle et sa Famille, Geneva, 1979, pp. 68-69 and 139). This would therefore suggest that the model not only enjoyed enduring popularity throughout Boulle's lifetime, but that it was originally commissioned by Paul Poisson de Bourvalais (d. 6 February 1719).
EXAMPLES RECORDED IN THE 18TH CENTURY
These pedestals were highly prized in the 18th century by collectors of Boulle furniture, and appear regularly in the Paris Auction catalogues towards the end of the century. The fact that so many were successfully re-sold at this time reinforces the nouvelle vogue for Boulle furniture at the end of the ancien régime, and therefore the need for such ébénistes as René Dubois, Etienne Levasseur and others to re-fit, refurbish and restore these ageing commodities often working for a marchand-mercier. Of them, the leading marchand in Boulle furniture was Claude-François Julliot (see Alexandre Pradère's introductory article in Volume III). There are no fewer than six of these pedestals in the Musée du Louvre, two stamped by both Séverin and Levasseur, and one by Levasseur alone, in each instance acting as restorers (D. Alcouffe, A Dion-Tennenbaum and A. Lefébure, Furniture Collections in the Louvre, Dijon, 1993, pp. 88-89). Some of the 18th century sales include:
The Julienne collection, March 30th-May 22nd 1767 no. 1665.
The Bonnemet collection, December 4th-14th, 1771, nos. 151, 152, 153 (three pairs).
The collection of Randon de Boisset, February 27th - March 25th, 1777, nos. 789, 790, 791, 792.
The Lebrun collection, January 19th 1778, no. 199.
The Dubois collection, November 20th 1785, nos. 214 and 216.
The Lebrun collection, April 11th 1791, nos. 767-768.
The La Mure collection, April 19th 1791, nos. 207-208.
The Choiseul-Praslin collection, April 3rd, 1793, 1793, no. 243.
The Bezenval collection , August 10th, 1795, no. 88.
The Duclos-Defresnoy collection, August 18th, 1795, no. 177-178.
EXAMPLES IN ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSES
In the early 19th century, This model was particularly fashionable amongst regency collectors of 'Buhl'. Several survive in English houses, including those in the collection of the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth, Derbyshire (four pedestals); those in the collection of the Duke of Wellington, Stratfield Saye, Hampshire, (four pedestals by Levasseur, and a fifth probably attributable to André-Charles Boulle) (M. Aldrich, 'A Setting for Boulle Furniture: The Duke of Wellington's Gallery at Stratfield Saye', Apollo, June 1998, pp. 19-27); those at Uppark, Sussex, (four pedestals); and those at Castle Howard, Yorkshire, (a pair of pedestals).
EXAMPLES RECORDED TODAY
A number of pedestals of this design, known as 'pedestals with aprons', are known with subtle variations. Apart from the existence of both première and contre-partie examples, the most obvious distinction within the group is the use on some of blue-tinted horn on the fringed lambrequin, such as on one of three pairs of pedestals attributed to Boulle in the Louvre which are nearly identical to this pair. A pair en première partie also with blue-tinted lambrequins, probably from the Alfred de Rothschild Collection at Halton, Buckinghamshire, was sold at Christie's Monaco, 18 June 1989, lot 210. Other known examples of this model of pedestal includes a pair from the Tannouri Collection, Paris, sold at Christie's London, 13 June 1991, lot 73; a further pair en première partie sold in the Keck Collection, Sotheby's New York, 5-6 December 1991, lot 26; a pair from the collection of George Byng Esq. at Wrotham park sold Christie's London, 10 June 1993, lot 105. A closely related pair en première partie marquetry from the Collection of M. Hubert de Givenchy, sold Christie's Monaco, 4 December 1993, lot 67 probably originally in the Duke of York's sale; a further pair sold by Miss Isabel Goldsmith, Christie's London, 12 December 1996, lot 148; as well as two pairs offered in the Greenberg Collection, Sotheby's New York, 21 May 2004, lots 12-13, of which one had previously been sold at Sotheby's London, 7 December 2000, lot 71 (£310,000).
In the acte de délaissement of 1715, whereby Boulle made over his workshop to his sons, are listed :
'Une contrepartie imparfaite du serre-papier accompagné de deux pieds d'estaux de M. Bourvalais, valant 500l
Neuf pieds d'estaux contreparties placqués mais imparfaits quant aux bronzes 150l
Plusiers escabellons oòu guesnes à porter des bronzes comme ceux de M. de Montargis 220l ou autres'
In the inventory taken following Boulle's death in 1732, further mention is made of this model:-
'no. 30 Une boeste de modèles de franges et houppes des pieds d'estaux de cabinet de M. Bourvalais pesant treize livres, prisés à raison de vingt sols la livre XIII (131)' (J.-P. Samoyault, André-Charles Boulle et sa Famille, Geneva, 1979, pp. 68-69 and 139). This would therefore suggest that the model not only enjoyed enduring popularity throughout Boulle's lifetime, but that it was originally commissioned by Paul Poisson de Bourvalais (d. 6 February 1719).
EXAMPLES RECORDED IN THE 18TH CENTURY
These pedestals were highly prized in the 18th century by collectors of Boulle furniture, and appear regularly in the Paris Auction catalogues towards the end of the century. The fact that so many were successfully re-sold at this time reinforces the nouvelle vogue for Boulle furniture at the end of the ancien régime, and therefore the need for such ébénistes as René Dubois, Etienne Levasseur and others to re-fit, refurbish and restore these ageing commodities often working for a marchand-mercier. Of them, the leading marchand in Boulle furniture was Claude-François Julliot (see Alexandre Pradère's introductory article in Volume III). There are no fewer than six of these pedestals in the Musée du Louvre, two stamped by both Séverin and Levasseur, and one by Levasseur alone, in each instance acting as restorers (D. Alcouffe, A Dion-Tennenbaum and A. Lefébure, Furniture Collections in the Louvre, Dijon, 1993, pp. 88-89). Some of the 18th century sales include:
The Julienne collection, March 30th-May 22nd 1767 no. 1665.
The Bonnemet collection, December 4th-14th, 1771, nos. 151, 152, 153 (three pairs).
The collection of Randon de Boisset, February 27th - March 25th, 1777, nos. 789, 790, 791, 792.
The Lebrun collection, January 19th 1778, no. 199.
The Dubois collection, November 20th 1785, nos. 214 and 216.
The Lebrun collection, April 11th 1791, nos. 767-768.
The La Mure collection, April 19th 1791, nos. 207-208.
The Choiseul-Praslin collection, April 3rd, 1793, 1793, no. 243.
The Bezenval collection , August 10th, 1795, no. 88.
The Duclos-Defresnoy collection, August 18th, 1795, no. 177-178.
EXAMPLES IN ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSES
In the early 19th century, This model was particularly fashionable amongst regency collectors of 'Buhl'. Several survive in English houses, including those in the collection of the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth, Derbyshire (four pedestals); those in the collection of the Duke of Wellington, Stratfield Saye, Hampshire, (four pedestals by Levasseur, and a fifth probably attributable to André-Charles Boulle) (M. Aldrich, 'A Setting for Boulle Furniture: The Duke of Wellington's Gallery at Stratfield Saye', Apollo, June 1998, pp. 19-27); those at Uppark, Sussex, (four pedestals); and those at Castle Howard, Yorkshire, (a pair of pedestals).
EXAMPLES RECORDED TODAY
A number of pedestals of this design, known as 'pedestals with aprons', are known with subtle variations. Apart from the existence of both première and contre-partie examples, the most obvious distinction within the group is the use on some of blue-tinted horn on the fringed lambrequin, such as on one of three pairs of pedestals attributed to Boulle in the Louvre which are nearly identical to this pair. A pair en première partie also with blue-tinted lambrequins, probably from the Alfred de Rothschild Collection at Halton, Buckinghamshire, was sold at Christie's Monaco, 18 June 1989, lot 210. Other known examples of this model of pedestal includes a pair from the Tannouri Collection, Paris, sold at Christie's London, 13 June 1991, lot 73; a further pair en première partie sold in the Keck Collection, Sotheby's New York, 5-6 December 1991, lot 26; a pair from the collection of George Byng Esq. at Wrotham park sold Christie's London, 10 June 1993, lot 105. A closely related pair en première partie marquetry from the Collection of M. Hubert de Givenchy, sold Christie's Monaco, 4 December 1993, lot 67 probably originally in the Duke of York's sale; a further pair sold by Miss Isabel Goldsmith, Christie's London, 12 December 1996, lot 148; as well as two pairs offered in the Greenberg Collection, Sotheby's New York, 21 May 2004, lots 12-13, of which one had previously been sold at Sotheby's London, 7 December 2000, lot 71 (£310,000).