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LES FIGURES ATTRIBUÉES AUX FRÈRES MARTIN, VERS 1750
细节
PENDULE AUX CHINOIS D'ÉPOQUE LOUIS XV
LES FIGURES ATTRIBUÉES AUX FRÈRES MARTIN, VERS 1750
En bronze laqué, ornementation de bronze ciselé et doré, porcelaine européenne émaillée blanc en pastillages, le cadran émaillé signé 'Thiout / A PARIS' et le mouvement 'Thiout L'Ainé / APARIS' dans une boite laquée rouge, retenu par deux figures de chinois vêtus de kimono à fleurs or sur fond noir, sur une terrasse ornée d'un arbuste et branches de fleurs
H. 23,5 cm. (9 ¼ in.) ; L. 25 cm. (9 ¾ in.) ; P. 8 cm. (3 ¼ in.)
LES FIGURES ATTRIBUÉES AUX FRÈRES MARTIN, VERS 1750
En bronze laqué, ornementation de bronze ciselé et doré, porcelaine européenne émaillée blanc en pastillages, le cadran émaillé signé 'Thiout / A PARIS' et le mouvement 'Thiout L'Ainé / APARIS' dans une boite laquée rouge, retenu par deux figures de chinois vêtus de kimono à fleurs or sur fond noir, sur une terrasse ornée d'un arbuste et branches de fleurs
H. 23,5 cm. (9 ¼ in.) ; L. 25 cm. (9 ¾ in.) ; P. 8 cm. (3 ¼ in.)
来源
Doña Graziella Patiño de Ortiz Linares (1900-1980) et Son Excellence Don Jorge Ortiz Linares (1894-1965) ;
Jaime Ortiz-Patiño (1930-2013) ;
Sa vente, vente Sotheby's, New York, 20 mai 1992, lot 7 ;
George Ortiz (1927-2013) ;
Puis par descendance.
Jaime Ortiz-Patiño (1930-2013) ;
Sa vente, vente Sotheby's, New York, 20 mai 1992, lot 7 ;
George Ortiz (1927-2013) ;
Puis par descendance.
出版
P. Siguret, Le style Louis XV, Paris, 1965, p. 129 (Ill.).
Bibliographie comparative :
P. Remy, S.-P. Poirier, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, groupes et figures de bronze qui composent le cabinet de feu Monsieur Gaignat [...] : [vente du 14 février 1768], Paris, 1768, pp. 83-84.
J. F. Watin, L’art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur, Paris, 1773.
Tardy, Dictionnaire des horlogers français, Paris, 1971, p. 611.
A. Laprade, J.P. Babelon, D. Alcouffe et al., Louis XV : Un moment de perfection de l’art français, Paris, 1974, pp. 338-339.
J.-D. Augarde, Les Ouvriers du Temps, Paris, 1996, p. 180.
P. Verlet, Les Bronzes dorés français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1999, p. 21.
T. Wolvesperges, Les Meubles français en laque au XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 2000, pp. 97-127.
T. Wolvesperges, 'À propos d'une pendule aux magots en vernis Martin du musée du Louvre provenant de la collection Grog-Carven', Revue du Louvre, Paris, 4 October 2001, pp. 66-78.
D. Kisluk-Grosheide, ‘The Rein of Magots and Pagods’, The Metropolitan Museum of art journal, vol. 37, 2002, pp. 177-197.
D. Alcouffe et al., Les Bronzes d’ameublement du Louvre, Dijon, 2004, pp. 72-73.
A. Forray-Carlier, M. Kopplin et al., Les Secrets de la laque française, le vernis martin, Paris, 2014, pp. 100-101.
Bibliographie comparative :
P. Remy, S.-P. Poirier, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, groupes et figures de bronze qui composent le cabinet de feu Monsieur Gaignat [...] : [vente du 14 février 1768], Paris, 1768, pp. 83-84.
J. F. Watin, L’art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur, Paris, 1773.
Tardy, Dictionnaire des horlogers français, Paris, 1971, p. 611.
A. Laprade, J.P. Babelon, D. Alcouffe et al., Louis XV : Un moment de perfection de l’art français, Paris, 1974, pp. 338-339.
J.-D. Augarde, Les Ouvriers du Temps, Paris, 1996, p. 180.
P. Verlet, Les Bronzes dorés français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1999, p. 21.
T. Wolvesperges, Les Meubles français en laque au XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 2000, pp. 97-127.
T. Wolvesperges, 'À propos d'une pendule aux magots en vernis Martin du musée du Louvre provenant de la collection Grog-Carven', Revue du Louvre, Paris, 4 October 2001, pp. 66-78.
D. Kisluk-Grosheide, ‘The Rein of Magots and Pagods’, The Metropolitan Museum of art journal, vol. 37, 2002, pp. 177-197.
D. Alcouffe et al., Les Bronzes d’ameublement du Louvre, Dijon, 2004, pp. 72-73.
A. Forray-Carlier, M. Kopplin et al., Les Secrets de la laque française, le vernis martin, Paris, 2014, pp. 100-101.
更多详情
A LOUIS XV ORMOLU-MOUNTED EUROPEAN VERNIS AND EUROPEAN PORCELAIN GARNITURE MANTEL CLOCK, THE FIGURES ATTRIBUTED TO THE MARTIN BROTHERS, CIRCA 1750
Diderot and d'Alembert observed in the Encyclopédie of 1751: "Our apartments are filled with them. These precious baubles have captivated the nation; they have displaced from our interiors ornaments of superior taste. This is the age of the magots" referring to these small Chinese figures.
The present vernis Martin clock en suite with its pair of candelabra (lot 44) perfectly embodies the eighteenth-century fascination with the idealised Orient.
THE FASHION FOR MAGOTS AND PAGODAS
The design of these figures was inspired by travellers' accounts and fanciful illustrations of the Far East, a region that remained largely mysterious yet immensely alluring to Europeans. Although the origins of chinoiserie in France are difficult to establish precisely, imported Asian works brought by the trading companies from the seventeenth century onwards, together with diplomatic exchanges such as the Embassy of Siam to Versailles in 1686, undoubtedly provided an important stimulus. Such exotic objects were eagerly collected by the French aristocracy. A notable example is the pot-pourri formerly in the collection of the Duc de Tallard (Christie's London, The Djahanguir Riahi Collection, 6 December 2012, lot 3), surmounted by a Chinese porcelain figure that itself provided one of the principal models for Western magots.
The emergence of chinoiserie may also be linked to the engraved designs of leading artists, foremost among them François Boucher. His red chalk drawing Feu, executed circa 1740 and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. 1984.51.1), depicts three figures whose stylised features and costume typify the European vision of the Orient. The magot derives directly from this imagined world, which permeated the decorative arts throughout the eighteenth century.
Within only a few decades, Western-made magots had become fixtures in the residences of the French elite. They were executed in carved wood, terre des Indes - to use the expression employed by Lazare Duvaux in his livre-journal - soft-paste porcelain, particularly at the manufactories of Chantilly and Mennecy, and bronze, frequently finished with varnish imitating Oriental lacquer. Although such varnishes had existed since the 17th century, their production expanded considerably in the early 18th century under the impetus of the Frères Martin workshop, to which the present clock is attributed. Decorative by their very nature, magots appeared in every conceivable form, adorning clocks, candelabra and a wide variety of ornamental bronzes.
THE FRÈRES MARTIN PARISIAN VARNISH WORKSHOP
Faced with the scarcity and prohibitive cost of imported Asian lacquer, and determined to rival these coveted works, several Parisian varnish workshops developed techniques capable of imitating their appearance. Among these, the workshop established by the Frères Martin rapidly distinguished itself during the opening decades of the eighteenth century.
Founded by Guillaume Martin (1689-1748), the family enterprise soon expanded to include his siblings. Although the precise composition of their celebrated varnish remains unknown, contemporary documents record ingredients including turpentine, sandarac resin, amber and spirit varnish. Surviving workshop inventories reveal the remarkable diversity of their production, notably toilet services and carriage decoration. Their reputation in the latter field became such that the Mercure de France of December 1732 noted that "Guillaume Martin entreprend aussi des carrosses en beau vernis en aventurine, les fait peindre et dorer, et garantit la dorure des injures du temps." In 1725 the brothers were appointed Premier Vernisseur du Roi, the highest distinction awarded to the profession. A royal debt of 3,500 livres owed to the workshop further illustrates the esteem in which it was held.
Their exceptional craftsmanship attracted an important international clientele. The sale of the collection of Jean-Louis Gaignat in 1768 included, under lot 188, "une très belle et grande pendule [...] ornée de plusieurs figures de cuivre, représentant des magots vernis par Martin, imitant le laque ; ils sont richement habillés et ouvragés de divers ors..." The repeated association of the frères Martin name with varnished bronze magots in eighteenth century inventories allows a significant proportion of this production to be attributed to their workshop. As Pierre Verlet has observed, these models were almost certainly imitated by competing varnishers.
The achievement of the Martin workshop lay in its extraordinary ability to reproduce the visual richness of Oriental lacquer. On the present example this is evident in the finely detailed costumes, notably the gold-highlighted tied-gourd motif reserved against a black ground, recalling Japanese maki-e, the technique of decorating lacquer with sprinkled gold. Through works such as these, the frères Martin responded perfectly to the Parisian taste for colour, novelty and exoticism.
THE ROLE OF THE MARCHANDS-MERCIERS
Although documentary evidence does not identify the marchand-mercier responsible for initiating the collaboration with the frères Martin in the production of these figures, both Thomas Joachim Hébert and Lazare Duvaux are known to have maintained close commercial ties with the workshop. The celebrated varnishers appear repeatedly in their surviving records.
Often described as "vendeurs de tout, faiseurs de rien" ("selling everything, making nothing"), the marchands-merciers orchestrated commissions on behalf of their distinguished clientele, bringing together craftsmen from different guilds to realise highly sophisticated works. The Martins supplied the varnished decoration, while other specialists contributed porcelain, gilt bronzes or clock movements. Constantly seeking novelty, the marchands-merciers created innovative compositions that frequently anticipated changing fashions. From a single magot model they were able to offer an astonishing variety of clocks incorporating one, two or three figures, as demonstrated by a related example sold from the Collection of Monsieur and Madame Riahi, at Christie's, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 8.
The incorporation of porcelain flowers likewise required the intervention of a marchand-mercier working in close collaboration with the porcelain manufactories. Just as vernis Martin imitated Asian lacquer, soft-paste porcelain was intended to emulate the highly prized Chinese porcelain whose manufacturing secrets had eluded Europe since the 16th century.
Alongside the varnished bronzes, porcelain and gilt-bronze mounts, the marchands-merciers also collaborated with leading clockmakers. The present clock bears the signature of Antoine Thiout, received master in 1724 and celebrated as the author of the Traité de l'Horlogerie mécanique et pratique, published in 1741.
Characteristic of the Louis XV period, a number of related examples are known, including one in the Musée du Louvre, dating from circa 1735-1745 (inv. OA 10539). Although its composition differs slightly from the present clock, the figures - also attributed to the frères Martin workshop - display the same characteristic poses. Whereas the Louvre example features a solid gilt-bronze rockwork base, the present clock is distinguished by an openwork rockwork mount enriched with finely chased naturalistic details.
Several closely related examples have appeared at auction in recent decades. Particularly comparable is a clock sharing the principal characteristics of the present model, sold at Christie's London, 9 July 2015, lot 139. Two further examples were sold at Christie's New York on 20 April 2007, lot 154, and 30 April 1999, The Alexander Collection, lot 35.
Diderot and d'Alembert observed in the Encyclopédie of 1751: "Our apartments are filled with them. These precious baubles have captivated the nation; they have displaced from our interiors ornaments of superior taste. This is the age of the magots" referring to these small Chinese figures.
The present vernis Martin clock en suite with its pair of candelabra (lot 44) perfectly embodies the eighteenth-century fascination with the idealised Orient.
THE FASHION FOR MAGOTS AND PAGODAS
The design of these figures was inspired by travellers' accounts and fanciful illustrations of the Far East, a region that remained largely mysterious yet immensely alluring to Europeans. Although the origins of chinoiserie in France are difficult to establish precisely, imported Asian works brought by the trading companies from the seventeenth century onwards, together with diplomatic exchanges such as the Embassy of Siam to Versailles in 1686, undoubtedly provided an important stimulus. Such exotic objects were eagerly collected by the French aristocracy. A notable example is the pot-pourri formerly in the collection of the Duc de Tallard (Christie's London, The Djahanguir Riahi Collection, 6 December 2012, lot 3), surmounted by a Chinese porcelain figure that itself provided one of the principal models for Western magots.
The emergence of chinoiserie may also be linked to the engraved designs of leading artists, foremost among them François Boucher. His red chalk drawing Feu, executed circa 1740 and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. 1984.51.1), depicts three figures whose stylised features and costume typify the European vision of the Orient. The magot derives directly from this imagined world, which permeated the decorative arts throughout the eighteenth century.
Within only a few decades, Western-made magots had become fixtures in the residences of the French elite. They were executed in carved wood, terre des Indes - to use the expression employed by Lazare Duvaux in his livre-journal - soft-paste porcelain, particularly at the manufactories of Chantilly and Mennecy, and bronze, frequently finished with varnish imitating Oriental lacquer. Although such varnishes had existed since the 17th century, their production expanded considerably in the early 18th century under the impetus of the Frères Martin workshop, to which the present clock is attributed. Decorative by their very nature, magots appeared in every conceivable form, adorning clocks, candelabra and a wide variety of ornamental bronzes.
THE FRÈRES MARTIN PARISIAN VARNISH WORKSHOP
Faced with the scarcity and prohibitive cost of imported Asian lacquer, and determined to rival these coveted works, several Parisian varnish workshops developed techniques capable of imitating their appearance. Among these, the workshop established by the Frères Martin rapidly distinguished itself during the opening decades of the eighteenth century.
Founded by Guillaume Martin (1689-1748), the family enterprise soon expanded to include his siblings. Although the precise composition of their celebrated varnish remains unknown, contemporary documents record ingredients including turpentine, sandarac resin, amber and spirit varnish. Surviving workshop inventories reveal the remarkable diversity of their production, notably toilet services and carriage decoration. Their reputation in the latter field became such that the Mercure de France of December 1732 noted that "Guillaume Martin entreprend aussi des carrosses en beau vernis en aventurine, les fait peindre et dorer, et garantit la dorure des injures du temps." In 1725 the brothers were appointed Premier Vernisseur du Roi, the highest distinction awarded to the profession. A royal debt of 3,500 livres owed to the workshop further illustrates the esteem in which it was held.
Their exceptional craftsmanship attracted an important international clientele. The sale of the collection of Jean-Louis Gaignat in 1768 included, under lot 188, "une très belle et grande pendule [...] ornée de plusieurs figures de cuivre, représentant des magots vernis par Martin, imitant le laque ; ils sont richement habillés et ouvragés de divers ors..." The repeated association of the frères Martin name with varnished bronze magots in eighteenth century inventories allows a significant proportion of this production to be attributed to their workshop. As Pierre Verlet has observed, these models were almost certainly imitated by competing varnishers.
The achievement of the Martin workshop lay in its extraordinary ability to reproduce the visual richness of Oriental lacquer. On the present example this is evident in the finely detailed costumes, notably the gold-highlighted tied-gourd motif reserved against a black ground, recalling Japanese maki-e, the technique of decorating lacquer with sprinkled gold. Through works such as these, the frères Martin responded perfectly to the Parisian taste for colour, novelty and exoticism.
THE ROLE OF THE MARCHANDS-MERCIERS
Although documentary evidence does not identify the marchand-mercier responsible for initiating the collaboration with the frères Martin in the production of these figures, both Thomas Joachim Hébert and Lazare Duvaux are known to have maintained close commercial ties with the workshop. The celebrated varnishers appear repeatedly in their surviving records.
Often described as "vendeurs de tout, faiseurs de rien" ("selling everything, making nothing"), the marchands-merciers orchestrated commissions on behalf of their distinguished clientele, bringing together craftsmen from different guilds to realise highly sophisticated works. The Martins supplied the varnished decoration, while other specialists contributed porcelain, gilt bronzes or clock movements. Constantly seeking novelty, the marchands-merciers created innovative compositions that frequently anticipated changing fashions. From a single magot model they were able to offer an astonishing variety of clocks incorporating one, two or three figures, as demonstrated by a related example sold from the Collection of Monsieur and Madame Riahi, at Christie's, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 8.
The incorporation of porcelain flowers likewise required the intervention of a marchand-mercier working in close collaboration with the porcelain manufactories. Just as vernis Martin imitated Asian lacquer, soft-paste porcelain was intended to emulate the highly prized Chinese porcelain whose manufacturing secrets had eluded Europe since the 16th century.
Alongside the varnished bronzes, porcelain and gilt-bronze mounts, the marchands-merciers also collaborated with leading clockmakers. The present clock bears the signature of Antoine Thiout, received master in 1724 and celebrated as the author of the Traité de l'Horlogerie mécanique et pratique, published in 1741.
Characteristic of the Louis XV period, a number of related examples are known, including one in the Musée du Louvre, dating from circa 1735-1745 (inv. OA 10539). Although its composition differs slightly from the present clock, the figures - also attributed to the frères Martin workshop - display the same characteristic poses. Whereas the Louvre example features a solid gilt-bronze rockwork base, the present clock is distinguished by an openwork rockwork mount enriched with finely chased naturalistic details.
Several closely related examples have appeared at auction in recent decades. Particularly comparable is a clock sharing the principal characteristics of the present model, sold at Christie's London, 9 July 2015, lot 139. Two further examples were sold at Christie's New York on 20 April 2007, lot 154, and 30 April 1999, The Alexander Collection, lot 35.
荣誉呈献
Paul Gallois
Head of European Furniture, EMEA