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Lot Essay
The intricate acanthus leaves and other floral elements framing the large central roundel and the secondary reserves on the top of this table are the same as those on a scagliola panel by the Della Valle workshop in the Bianchi Collection, Florence, see A. M. Massinelli, Scagliola, Rome, 1997, p. 78. The fine shading of the border's decoration can be found in other monochromatic borders executed by the della Valle brothers, see ibid., p. 88. The Della Valle atelier was famous for the use of detailed land- and cityscapes in their work executed in scagliola, including the two above examples and another illustrated ibid., p. 82.
The celebrated Livorno workshop of Pietro and Giuseppe Della Valle was active during the first half of the nineteenth century. Pietro Della Valle was recorded by Volpi in his guide to the city and surroundings of Livorno in 1846, and was noted as being one of the most significant Livornian artists for his painterly abilities and individualistic style of scagliola craftsmanship. Piombanti recorded in his 1873 Guida storica ed artistica della cita e dei contorni di Livorno that Pietro was responsible for the progression and development of the craft. Coming from a family of scagliolisti, Pietro had in fact started as a painter and one of his oil paintings depicting the Livorno docks was exhibited in 1838 in Florence.
The celebrated Livorno workshop of Pietro and Giuseppe Della Valle was active during the first half of the nineteenth century. Pietro Della Valle was recorded by Volpi in his guide to the city and surroundings of Livorno in 1846, and was noted as being one of the most significant Livornian artists for his painterly abilities and individualistic style of scagliola craftsmanship. Piombanti recorded in his 1873 Guida storica ed artistica della cita e dei contorni di Livorno that Pietro was responsible for the progression and development of the craft. Coming from a family of scagliolisti, Pietro had in fact started as a painter and one of his oil paintings depicting the Livorno docks was exhibited in 1838 in Florence.