A fine and rare set of six Italian pietre dure and pietre paesina panels, Florentine, Grand Ducal workshop, attributed to Zocchi mid 18th century

each of rectangular form depicting horses and their riders in 18th century dress in a landscape setting, all numbered in Roman numerals XXXVI, XLVII, XXII, XLVIII, L, LII, now mounted in modern  brass frames                                                       

Part of an original set of twelve plaques purchased by the father of the present owner in the 1950's

The colour of the backgrounds are slightly darker overall and more natural and attractive than in the catalogue photograph.The dappled horse in the panel on the top of p. 210 is more grey than blue in colour. The backgrounds on the panels on p. 213 are less warm and more cream coloured. The panels are all on a black slate ground and have purely been given a white border in the catalogue photograph for aesthetic reasons.Two of the panels have been removed from their frames and can easily be remounted. There are screwholes in the brass frames where they were formerly attached to the wall. One panel has been restored (the one on the bottom of p. 210) but this has been so well executed it is hardly noticeable.The quality of the detail and stone is superb and these are a highly desirable set in overall very good condition. Highly recommended.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature:
Annamaria Giusti, La marqueterie de pierres dures, Paris, 2005, pp. 177-178, plate 144, for a detail of a table top inset with panels from the same series, in the Märkische Museum,Berlin, reproduced here in fig.1. 

The subject matter of horseriders was a popular theme in the 18th century and there exists engravings by various makers upon which these panels are surely based however, with some variations. See  for example an engraving by William Cavendish, 1st  Duke of Newcastle, circa 1700, from `The New Method of Training Horses', some of which were hand coloured, one of which is reproduced here in fig.2. William Cavendish was a passionate advocate of haute ecole-the science of schooling horses in a complex routine and he published a very detailed work on this Methode et Invention Nouvelle de Dresser les Chevaux.

It is also worthwhile considering an engraving by Baron D'Eisenberg from 1747, from `Description du Manege Moderne'-reproduced here in fig.3. He produced and illustrated a book on horesemanship dedicated to King George II and his son, describing the art of training cavaliers. The engraver of these plates was Bernard Picart. 

Finally one should also not discount the engravings by Diderot et D'Alembert, circa 1769-see fig.4-showing a horse with its tail tied up in a very similar way to that one of the offered panels. The engravings are from Manege et Equitation in L' Encyclopedie Diderot et D'Alembert.  

Due to the numbering in Roman numerals on the reverse of these panels, they must have originally been part of a large set  comprising more than fifty panels.

Giuseppe Zocchi (Fiesole (?), 1716/1717-Florence, 1767):
He was originally apprenticed to an important Florentine baroque painter Ranieri del Pace. He travelled to Rome, Bologna and the North of Italy and was awarded the prize for young students in the painting class at the Accademia in 1737 and in 1741, was admitted to the first year. He must also have travelled to Venice between 1739 and 1741 where he learnt the art of engraving. He is known as a draughtsman and view painter nowadays but in his time he was mainly a figure painter. His most celeberated paintings include `The Triumph of David', 1739 and his `Ruins with Figures' both signed and dated 1746 and 1747. His most famous work is the two-fold series of engravings published in 1744 entitled `Selection of XXIV Views of the Principal Districts, Squares, Churches, and Palaces of the City of Florence' and the `Views of Villas  and of Places in Tuscany', made after Zocchi's own drawings. The complete set of drawings consisted of seventy-seven sheets and was promoted and paid for by the Marchese Gerini, his patron. 

From 1750 onwards, Zocchi worked in the Galleria dei lavori di pietre dure where he was salaried as the official engraver to the workshop from 1754 until his death in 1767. He supplied mainly drawings and models for the workshop's principal commissioner, the Emperor Francis Stephen of Habsburg Lorraine, who commissioned the celebrated Quadreria di pietre dure which is today at the Hofburg, Vienna. 

We are would like to thank Dr. Annamaria Giusti for drawing our attention to the table in  the Märkische Museum,Berlin.