Lot Essay
Thomas Compigné
Arriving from Italy in the mid-18th century, Thomaso Compigni changed his name to ‘Thomas Compigné’ when he set up shop at the Roi David on rue Greneta in the Montorgueil district of Paris. As a table-maker, he created small precious objects, such as boxes, board game pieces, snuffboxes and cane handles in blond tortoiseshell inlaid with gold.In 1773, he obtained the title of ‘King's privileged tablemaker’ under Louis XVI, after presenting the king with two views of the Château de Saint-Hubert. He specialised in depicting landscapes, monuments and castles, as illustrated in the Almanach du Dauphin of 1777.As is the case with our views of the Château de Choisy-le-Roi, Compigné's miniatures are often animated by small characters who make the scenes lively and attractive.
The Compigné technique
At the crossroads of genres and techniques, Thomas Compigné's tableautins call on a range of skills. To produce these works, a pewter plate is stamped in relief, engraved and then placed on a sheet of tortoiseshell or cardboard. It is then enhanced with gouache, varnish, gold or silver, creating a charming scene and a precious work of art.Known today as ‘compignés’, these small paintings were extremely popular in the 1760s. His successor Claude-Louis Chevalier, who probably trained in his workshop and was awarded the title of Master in 1776, did not achieve the same degree of perfection.
A taste for views of châteaux
The success of the compignés was due in particular to one of their recurring subjects: castle views. Often presented in pairs, combining a view of the courtyard with a view of the Seine, the compignés appealed to the upper echelons of the Court. In 1773 and 1774, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette both received topographical views by Thomas Compigné.These views are of historical interest, as they bear witness to the state of certain châteaux at the time, and are reminders of others that no longer exist today. This is the case of a view of the Château de Versailles, taken by Compigné and kept at the Musée Lambinet in Versailles (inv. 95.2.1), but also of the Château de Choisy-le-Roi, which was gradually destroyed during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The views of the Château de Choisy-le-Roi seem to have been quite successful, as several similar examples have come onto the art market. Although the matrix is the same, the artist may have modified the colours, framing and framing.Examples include: Bohnams - Cornette de Saint-Cyr sale, Paris, 15 December 2010, lot 180; Sotheby's sale, Paris, 5 May 2015, lot 243; Christie's sale, London, 15 November 2017, lot 246; Beaussant Lefèvre & Associés sale, Paris, 23 October 2020, lot 174; Sotheby's sale, New York, 19 October 2022, lot 555; Chevau-Légers Enchères sale, Versailles, 24 March 2024, lots 72 and 73.
Arriving from Italy in the mid-18th century, Thomaso Compigni changed his name to ‘Thomas Compigné’ when he set up shop at the Roi David on rue Greneta in the Montorgueil district of Paris. As a table-maker, he created small precious objects, such as boxes, board game pieces, snuffboxes and cane handles in blond tortoiseshell inlaid with gold.In 1773, he obtained the title of ‘King's privileged tablemaker’ under Louis XVI, after presenting the king with two views of the Château de Saint-Hubert. He specialised in depicting landscapes, monuments and castles, as illustrated in the Almanach du Dauphin of 1777.As is the case with our views of the Château de Choisy-le-Roi, Compigné's miniatures are often animated by small characters who make the scenes lively and attractive.
The Compigné technique
At the crossroads of genres and techniques, Thomas Compigné's tableautins call on a range of skills. To produce these works, a pewter plate is stamped in relief, engraved and then placed on a sheet of tortoiseshell or cardboard. It is then enhanced with gouache, varnish, gold or silver, creating a charming scene and a precious work of art.Known today as ‘compignés’, these small paintings were extremely popular in the 1760s. His successor Claude-Louis Chevalier, who probably trained in his workshop and was awarded the title of Master in 1776, did not achieve the same degree of perfection.
A taste for views of châteaux
The success of the compignés was due in particular to one of their recurring subjects: castle views. Often presented in pairs, combining a view of the courtyard with a view of the Seine, the compignés appealed to the upper echelons of the Court. In 1773 and 1774, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette both received topographical views by Thomas Compigné.These views are of historical interest, as they bear witness to the state of certain châteaux at the time, and are reminders of others that no longer exist today. This is the case of a view of the Château de Versailles, taken by Compigné and kept at the Musée Lambinet in Versailles (inv. 95.2.1), but also of the Château de Choisy-le-Roi, which was gradually destroyed during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The views of the Château de Choisy-le-Roi seem to have been quite successful, as several similar examples have come onto the art market. Although the matrix is the same, the artist may have modified the colours, framing and framing.Examples include: Bohnams - Cornette de Saint-Cyr sale, Paris, 15 December 2010, lot 180; Sotheby's sale, Paris, 5 May 2015, lot 243; Christie's sale, London, 15 November 2017, lot 246; Beaussant Lefèvre & Associés sale, Paris, 23 October 2020, lot 174; Sotheby's sale, New York, 19 October 2022, lot 555; Chevau-Légers Enchères sale, Versailles, 24 March 2024, lots 72 and 73.