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Lot Essay
The scagliola tops are inspired by the work of the Italian immigre craftsman Pietro Bossi, whose work was the subject of an article published by Conor O'Neill in Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies ('In Search of Bossi', vol. I, 1998, pp. 146-175). Bossi placed an advertisement in Saunders Newsletter in 1786: 'Peter Bossi, Inlayer of Marble, lately removed to No. 38 Fleet Street, has now for sale an elegant pair of statuary marble tables, also chimneypieces, the whole inlaid scagliola, on an entire new design. He engages the above pieces to be as good workmanship as any done in London.'
Among other famous 18th century scagliolists is Domenico Bartoli, who worked with Johan Augustus Richter from 1767-1777. The partners worked almost exclusively for Robert Adam and after the partnership dissolved each took on individual commissions, with Bartoli working for James Wyatt (D. Cameron, 'Scagliola inlay work: the problems of attribution', Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies, vol. VII, 2004, p. 152, fig. 12). Consequently such work is invariably rendered in conventional neo-classical style as promoted by Adam in Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam, first published in 1773–1778, and reissued posthumously, in 1822.
Among other famous 18th century scagliolists is Domenico Bartoli, who worked with Johan Augustus Richter from 1767-1777. The partners worked almost exclusively for Robert Adam and after the partnership dissolved each took on individual commissions, with Bartoli working for James Wyatt (D. Cameron, 'Scagliola inlay work: the problems of attribution', Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies, vol. VII, 2004, p. 152, fig. 12). Consequently such work is invariably rendered in conventional neo-classical style as promoted by Adam in Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam, first published in 1773–1778, and reissued posthumously, in 1822.