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拍品專文
RÉMOND
The enamelled gold case is the work of one of Geneva's most celebrated casemakers, Jean-Georges Rémond, produced during his partnership with Jean-Noël Lamy, Laurent Gisseling, Pierre Mercier and Daniel Burton. This period saw the production of gold cases for watches, musical snuff boxes and automata, often destined for export to the Orient where their complexity and fine enamelling were particularly admired and sought after by collectors.
Rémond collaborated with all the well-known movement makers such as Piguet & Capt, Piguet & Meylan, Jaquet-Droz & Leschot, Frisard and Les Frères Rochat, who designed the mechanical elements, while the cases were often decorated with enamel plaques by Lissignol, Richter, Dupont and others, generally depicting classical scenes after renowned paintings.
PIGUET & MEYLAN
Isaac Piguet (1775-1841) was born in Le Chenit, Vaud, moving to Geneva before 1800. He first worked with Jean-Frédéric Leschot when in 1802 he created a miniature musical piece in the form of a ring following the idea of the Geneva watchmaker Antoine Favre (1767-1828) in 1796. Piguet then went into partnership with his brother-in-law Henry Capt (1773-1841) from 1802-1811, specialising in musical boxes and automata, such as this snuff-box, often intended for the Chinese and Ottoman markets. In 1811, Piguet founded Piguet & Meylan with Philippe Samuel Meylan (1772-1845) and together they produced elaborate and beautifully decorated musical watches, including skeleton and automaton watches, as well as mechanical animals. In 1828, the partnership ended, and Isaac and his son David-Auguste Piguet established a new company, Piguet Père & Fils. In 1832 the company was dissolved. The commercial part was taken over by Charles Philippe Piguet de Morges, while the technical part continued under Piguet & Cie, directed by David Auguste. Isaac-Daniel Piguet died in Geneva, on 20 January 1841.
A MINIATURE ATTRIBUTED TO LISSIGNOL AFTER ANGELICA KAUFFMAN
The enamel scene can be attributed to Jean-Abraham Lissignol (1749-1819) who trained with Jean-Marc Roux. As well as painting plaques for snuff-boxes, he also supplied workshops with portrait miniatures for watch cases. He appears to have specialised in allegorical and religious scenes, painted in rich translucent colours and using the pointillistic detailing and hair-thin brush strokes.
The scene on the cover depicts Joseph telling his father Jacob about a dream in which his family bow down to him (from the Book of Genesis), prompting his father to rebuke him for his arrogance, while his brothers grow jealous and resentful.
The narrative suggests that possessing insight or ambition is not inherently problematic; rather, the manner and context in which such knowledge are expressed are crucial, wisdom lies not only in what one knows, but in how and when it is conveyed.
This scene, in its present form, was painted by Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807) one of the most celebrated painters of the 18th century and a key figure in the rise of Neoclassicism. She spent much of her youth travelling through Austria and Italy, absorbing classical art and culture, especially in cities such as Rome, before moving to London in the 1760s, where she quickly became a fashionable portraitist among aristocrats and intellectuals. In 1768, she was one of only two female founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts (the other being Mary Moser). Kauffman also favoured history painting with a strong emphasis on classical figures and moral narratives.
Kauffmann was one of the first internationally celebrated artists from Switzerland, and her work was much admired and used by enamellers as a source of inspiration. For another box also by Jean George Rémond with a miniature after Angelica Kauffman, see Christie's, London, 16 December 2021, lot 29.
This automaton box is struck on the flange with number 4191 and it is worth noting that Christie's sold, in London, 22 September 2022, lot 178, a very comparable automaton stamped with number 4193, suggesting these were made around the same time.
The enamelled gold case is the work of one of Geneva's most celebrated casemakers, Jean-Georges Rémond, produced during his partnership with Jean-Noël Lamy, Laurent Gisseling, Pierre Mercier and Daniel Burton. This period saw the production of gold cases for watches, musical snuff boxes and automata, often destined for export to the Orient where their complexity and fine enamelling were particularly admired and sought after by collectors.
Rémond collaborated with all the well-known movement makers such as Piguet & Capt, Piguet & Meylan, Jaquet-Droz & Leschot, Frisard and Les Frères Rochat, who designed the mechanical elements, while the cases were often decorated with enamel plaques by Lissignol, Richter, Dupont and others, generally depicting classical scenes after renowned paintings.
PIGUET & MEYLAN
Isaac Piguet (1775-1841) was born in Le Chenit, Vaud, moving to Geneva before 1800. He first worked with Jean-Frédéric Leschot when in 1802 he created a miniature musical piece in the form of a ring following the idea of the Geneva watchmaker Antoine Favre (1767-1828) in 1796. Piguet then went into partnership with his brother-in-law Henry Capt (1773-1841) from 1802-1811, specialising in musical boxes and automata, such as this snuff-box, often intended for the Chinese and Ottoman markets. In 1811, Piguet founded Piguet & Meylan with Philippe Samuel Meylan (1772-1845) and together they produced elaborate and beautifully decorated musical watches, including skeleton and automaton watches, as well as mechanical animals. In 1828, the partnership ended, and Isaac and his son David-Auguste Piguet established a new company, Piguet Père & Fils. In 1832 the company was dissolved. The commercial part was taken over by Charles Philippe Piguet de Morges, while the technical part continued under Piguet & Cie, directed by David Auguste. Isaac-Daniel Piguet died in Geneva, on 20 January 1841.
A MINIATURE ATTRIBUTED TO LISSIGNOL AFTER ANGELICA KAUFFMAN
The enamel scene can be attributed to Jean-Abraham Lissignol (1749-1819) who trained with Jean-Marc Roux. As well as painting plaques for snuff-boxes, he also supplied workshops with portrait miniatures for watch cases. He appears to have specialised in allegorical and religious scenes, painted in rich translucent colours and using the pointillistic detailing and hair-thin brush strokes.
The scene on the cover depicts Joseph telling his father Jacob about a dream in which his family bow down to him (from the Book of Genesis), prompting his father to rebuke him for his arrogance, while his brothers grow jealous and resentful.
The narrative suggests that possessing insight or ambition is not inherently problematic; rather, the manner and context in which such knowledge are expressed are crucial, wisdom lies not only in what one knows, but in how and when it is conveyed.
This scene, in its present form, was painted by Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807) one of the most celebrated painters of the 18th century and a key figure in the rise of Neoclassicism. She spent much of her youth travelling through Austria and Italy, absorbing classical art and culture, especially in cities such as Rome, before moving to London in the 1760s, where she quickly became a fashionable portraitist among aristocrats and intellectuals. In 1768, she was one of only two female founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts (the other being Mary Moser). Kauffman also favoured history painting with a strong emphasis on classical figures and moral narratives.
Kauffmann was one of the first internationally celebrated artists from Switzerland, and her work was much admired and used by enamellers as a source of inspiration. For another box also by Jean George Rémond with a miniature after Angelica Kauffman, see Christie's, London, 16 December 2021, lot 29.
This automaton box is struck on the flange with number 4191 and it is worth noting that Christie's sold, in London, 22 September 2022, lot 178, a very comparable automaton stamped with number 4193, suggesting these were made around the same time.