.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Descrizione dettagliata lotto
These wine-coolers were probably commissioned from Nicolas Besnier by Horatio Walpole whilst serving as envoy to the French Royal Court from 1724 to 1730. He became Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in 1727.
Walpole was born in 1678 and pursued a distinguished diplomatic and political career in the service of the British Crown. He married Mary Magdalen Lombard, daughter and co-heiress of Peter Lombard, in 1720, and held a succession of important offices, including Secretary to the Treasury from 1715 until 1717 and again in 1721. He was Secretary of State from 1720 to 1721, and Surveyor and Auditor-General of the Revenue in America from 1717. He also served as Minister and Plenipotentiary at The Hague and was successively Envoy Extraordinary, Ambassador Extraordinary, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France between 1723 and 1730, before returning as Ambassador to The Hague from 1734 to 1739.
In recognition of his long public service, he was created Baron Walpole of Wolterton in 1756. Contemporary assessments of Walpole's character were sharply divided, described variously as a man of wide knowledge but whose judgement was undermined by indiscretion and eccentricity. Lord Hervey was similarly critical of his manners whilst acknowledging his diligence, industry, and considerable experience as a negotiator. In contrast, the historian William Coxe praised Walpole's diplomatic skill, integrity, and adaptability, commending his composure in negotiation and his reputation for honesty. Together, these contrasting accounts reflect the complex personality of a statesman who nevertheless enjoyed a long and successful career in British diplomacy.
WALPOLE AMBASSADOR FROM 1727
These wine-coolers were part of a larger service commissioned by Walpole at the end of 1724. The service weighed 1,070 ounces of gilt [30,330 gr.] and 5,017 ounces [167,740 gr.] of silver and included "Two Ice Pails 231 oz. 14. 0" [7,205 gr.] but also "Two Terrains & two Dishes weighing 517 oz. 7 dwt." and "One Aparn 465 oz. 10.0" [14,480 gr.]. The pair of pots à oille are now in the Louvre Museum in Paris (OA 12533 A and B). All pieces were to be engraved with the arms of the Walpole and the Lombard (for his wife Marie Madeleine Lombard (1694-1783)) and the arms of King George I (1660-1727) and King George II (1683-1760) (op. cit. de Quénetain, p. 245). The wine-coolers may well be the ones mentioned in the dining room of Strawberry Hill in 1842 : "A pair of splendi octagon Wine Collers, chased rose flower, tablets, arabesques borders and scroll handles" (op. cit. p. 254).
NICOLAS BESNIER
At the time of this commission, which appears to have included a whole service including a pair of pots à oille now in the Louvre Museum, Paris (OA 12533 A and B) Nicolas Besnier (1686-1754) was Goldsmith to the King and one of the most fashionable and sought after goldsmiths. Born to François Besnier, chef du gobelet du roi, and Henriette Delaunay, Nicolas Delaunay's sister, he travelled to Rome between 1709 and 1712 where he worked at the Villa Medici and received architectural training, winning the Prix d’Architecture in 1711. He returned to Paris in 1712 and was admitted as a master goldsmith in 1714, joining the workshop of his uncle, Nicolas Delaunay, in the Galleries of the Louvre. In 1723, he was appointed Goldsmith to the King by royal brevet and worked for the Court, notably supplying replacements for the King’s everyday silverware, as well as commissions for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an elite international clientele.
In 1729, he became an alderman (échevin) of the City of Paris. He subsequently entered into partnership with his son-in-law, Jacques Roëttiers de La Tour, to whom he entrusted the management of his goldsmith’s workshop. From 1734 to 1753, Besnier served as Director of the Royal Beauvais Tapestry Manufactory.
Besnier was certainly favoured by foreign visitors and notably Englishmen who recognised in his style the influence of the Huguenot goldsmiths working in London since the mid-1680s. Thus, Besnier was also chosen by William Bateman, 1st Viscount Bateman, in 1723 for a large service, (see Les Grands Orfevres de Louis XIII à Charles X, pp. 88-89, figs. 1-6) which included a pair of candlesticks sold at Christie's New York, 15 October 1985, lot 51.
A FRENCH DESIGN FOR ENGLISH TASTE
The design of these wine-coolers is generally believed to be French, probably dating from the early years of the 18th century and possibly by Nicolas Delaunay (c.1646–1727). Apprenticed with Claude Ballin, Delaunay succeeded him to the role of Goldsmith to Louis XIV. Having taken over his master's workshop and commissions from 1678, he developed a new decorative vocabulary which included cartouches, lambrequins, profiles in medallions, friezes of laurel buds and trelliswork amongst other motifs, combined and enhanced by matted sections. This model of wine-cooler conforms to his style.
Nonetheless it is interesting to note that apart from this pair, all other surviving silver examples of this model of wine-coolers are made in England mostly by leading Huguenot goldsmiths who probably introduced the model: One pair by David Willaume dated 1720 is now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (inv. 1959-151-8), another pair by William Lukin dated 1716 is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. 68.141.128–129) and Christie's sold one also by David Willaume dated 1718 (London, 10 November 1993, lot 250).
Walpole was born in 1678 and pursued a distinguished diplomatic and political career in the service of the British Crown. He married Mary Magdalen Lombard, daughter and co-heiress of Peter Lombard, in 1720, and held a succession of important offices, including Secretary to the Treasury from 1715 until 1717 and again in 1721. He was Secretary of State from 1720 to 1721, and Surveyor and Auditor-General of the Revenue in America from 1717. He also served as Minister and Plenipotentiary at The Hague and was successively Envoy Extraordinary, Ambassador Extraordinary, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France between 1723 and 1730, before returning as Ambassador to The Hague from 1734 to 1739.
In recognition of his long public service, he was created Baron Walpole of Wolterton in 1756. Contemporary assessments of Walpole's character were sharply divided, described variously as a man of wide knowledge but whose judgement was undermined by indiscretion and eccentricity. Lord Hervey was similarly critical of his manners whilst acknowledging his diligence, industry, and considerable experience as a negotiator. In contrast, the historian William Coxe praised Walpole's diplomatic skill, integrity, and adaptability, commending his composure in negotiation and his reputation for honesty. Together, these contrasting accounts reflect the complex personality of a statesman who nevertheless enjoyed a long and successful career in British diplomacy.
WALPOLE AMBASSADOR FROM 1727
These wine-coolers were part of a larger service commissioned by Walpole at the end of 1724. The service weighed 1,070 ounces of gilt [30,330 gr.] and 5,017 ounces [167,740 gr.] of silver and included "Two Ice Pails 231 oz. 14. 0" [7,205 gr.] but also "Two Terrains & two Dishes weighing 517 oz. 7 dwt." and "One Aparn 465 oz. 10.0" [14,480 gr.]. The pair of pots à oille are now in the Louvre Museum in Paris (OA 12533 A and B). All pieces were to be engraved with the arms of the Walpole and the Lombard (for his wife Marie Madeleine Lombard (1694-1783)) and the arms of King George I (1660-1727) and King George II (1683-1760) (op. cit. de Quénetain, p. 245). The wine-coolers may well be the ones mentioned in the dining room of Strawberry Hill in 1842 : "A pair of splendi octagon Wine Collers, chased rose flower, tablets, arabesques borders and scroll handles" (op. cit. p. 254).
NICOLAS BESNIER
At the time of this commission, which appears to have included a whole service including a pair of pots à oille now in the Louvre Museum, Paris (OA 12533 A and B) Nicolas Besnier (1686-1754) was Goldsmith to the King and one of the most fashionable and sought after goldsmiths. Born to François Besnier, chef du gobelet du roi, and Henriette Delaunay, Nicolas Delaunay's sister, he travelled to Rome between 1709 and 1712 where he worked at the Villa Medici and received architectural training, winning the Prix d’Architecture in 1711. He returned to Paris in 1712 and was admitted as a master goldsmith in 1714, joining the workshop of his uncle, Nicolas Delaunay, in the Galleries of the Louvre. In 1723, he was appointed Goldsmith to the King by royal brevet and worked for the Court, notably supplying replacements for the King’s everyday silverware, as well as commissions for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an elite international clientele.
In 1729, he became an alderman (échevin) of the City of Paris. He subsequently entered into partnership with his son-in-law, Jacques Roëttiers de La Tour, to whom he entrusted the management of his goldsmith’s workshop. From 1734 to 1753, Besnier served as Director of the Royal Beauvais Tapestry Manufactory.
Besnier was certainly favoured by foreign visitors and notably Englishmen who recognised in his style the influence of the Huguenot goldsmiths working in London since the mid-1680s. Thus, Besnier was also chosen by William Bateman, 1st Viscount Bateman, in 1723 for a large service, (see Les Grands Orfevres de Louis XIII à Charles X, pp. 88-89, figs. 1-6) which included a pair of candlesticks sold at Christie's New York, 15 October 1985, lot 51.
A FRENCH DESIGN FOR ENGLISH TASTE
The design of these wine-coolers is generally believed to be French, probably dating from the early years of the 18th century and possibly by Nicolas Delaunay (c.1646–1727). Apprenticed with Claude Ballin, Delaunay succeeded him to the role of Goldsmith to Louis XIV. Having taken over his master's workshop and commissions from 1678, he developed a new decorative vocabulary which included cartouches, lambrequins, profiles in medallions, friezes of laurel buds and trelliswork amongst other motifs, combined and enhanced by matted sections. This model of wine-cooler conforms to his style.
Nonetheless it is interesting to note that apart from this pair, all other surviving silver examples of this model of wine-coolers are made in England mostly by leading Huguenot goldsmiths who probably introduced the model: One pair by David Willaume dated 1720 is now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (inv. 1959-151-8), another pair by William Lukin dated 1716 is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. 68.141.128–129) and Christie's sold one also by David Willaume dated 1718 (London, 10 November 1993, lot 250).