A French pianoforte converted in 1874 by Erard and Zeitter from a 17th century Flemish harpsichord by a member of the Ruckers family; the painting on the lid of the pianoforte from the circle of Nicholas Lancret (1690-1745) depicting scenes from Jean-Philippe Rameau's 1737 Opera `Castor and Pollux' dated 1874 on both sides of the nameboard

Hugh Cecil, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, K.G.,
Jules Porgès, Paris
The Duchesse de Talleyrand, Paris
Gaston Palewski, Paris
Rosenberg and Steibel, New York until 1979
The Barbara Piasecka Johnson Collection since 1979

The Duchesse de Talleyrand (1793-1862):
Dorothée, Princess of Courlande became the wife of the nephew of the renowned diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord and the Duchess of Talleyrand in 1838 and Duchess of Sagan in 1845.  She was known for her outstanding beauty and keen intelligence

Jules Porgès (1839-1921):
He was a mining magnate born in Prague to a prominent Austro-Hungarian family and settled in Paris in the 1860's and became a leading diamond merchant investing in the mining rights of four major South African mines when these were discovered (De Beers, Bultfontein, Dutoitspan, and Kimberely). Both Alfred Beit and Sir Julius Wernher worked for him and were sent by him to Kimberley with Jules arriving there in 1875 and established the firm of H. Eckstein and extending his operations to the Witwatersrand in 1887.  He became a close associate of Cecil Rhodes and sold his shares to the De Beers firm before retiring in 1890. 

Hugh Cecil, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, K.G., (1857-1944): 
He was president of the National Sporting Club of Great Britain. In 1909 he organised professional boxing according to the Marquis of Queensbery rules and he donated the Lonsdale belt as a gift and trophy to the sport.

Gaston Palewski (1901-1984):
He was born in Paris and after his studies devoted his life to the political service of France. He was principal Private Secretary to Paul Reynaud from 1928 to 1939 and Director of the cabinet of General Charles de Gaulle in London, Algiers and Paris from 1942-1946 and Vice President of the National Assembly from 1953 to 1955 and Ambassador to Italy from 1957 to 1962. He was also Minister of State, in charge of scientific research in the government of George Pompidou and President of the Constitutional Council form 1965-1974. He was awarded throughout his lifetime with the highest French and foreign distinctions.

Georges Wildenstein, Lancret, Paris, 1924, no. 763, ill. 176, the lid only.
Laurence Libin, `A Rediscovered Portrayal of Rameau and Castor and Pollux', Early Music, October 1983, pp. 510-513.

This magnificent and extremely rare instrument is intriguing in that it has a piano dated 1874, on both sides of the nameboard made by two of the leading paino makers of the 19th century, Erard and Zeitter and incorporates a 17th century Flemish harpsichord by a member of the Ruckers family.

On the inside of the lid, there is an unsigned painting previously  attributed by Georges Wildenstein to the artist Nicolas Lancret (1690-1743), see literature.

It would appear that the piano lid  incorporated an earlier harpsichord lid and one can see the extension of the original painting especially at the tail and along the bentside. Although Wildenstein is of the view that the painting is by Nicholas Lancret there is a diversity of opinion on this. Libin, op. cit., is of the opinion that the harpsichord lid is not the work of Lancret but is more generally of French mid 18th century origin.  Apparently according to the same author, this view is shared also by Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum at the time of the publication of the article by Libin and by John Rupert Martin of Princeton University's Department of Art History. 

The reclining man at the far right who is wearing a blue sash and star with an unidentified heraldic order, being crowned with a wreath is Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764), a late Baroque French composer known today for his harpsichord music and as a composer of operas, but in view of various factors Libin, op. cit., believes that the portrait was painted without his knowledge and probably after his death.

The nameboard like the lid incorporates older elements including a 17th century harpsichord nameboard and extension of the old nameboard at both ends is apparent. There is situated between floral sprays in the original section a musical manuscript which is entitled` Pastorale par M. Balbastre le 6 Aoust 1767'. Claude-Bénigne Balbastre's very close connection with Rameau's family in Dijon are documented in correspondence.

Finally, the lid painting depicts a rare interpretation of the scenes from Rameau's opera Castor et Pollux, probably the revival of 1764. The woman dressed in  red who grasps a serpent and a torch represents according to Libin, op. cit., Phoébé at the entrance of hell which she attempts unsuccessfully to prevent Pollux from entering. At the other  end of the lid Rameau is inhabiting Elysium and the painting has to be read in the context of Balbastre's relationship with Rameau discussed in detail in the aforementioned article.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that what is almost certainly the original harpsichord out of which this instrument was made, was in the possession of French organist and composer Claude-Bénigne Balbastre (1727-1799) and was recorded by the eminent English musicologist Dr. Charles Burney (father of Fanny Burney) in his book Present State of Music in France and Italy (1770), referred to in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians under Balbastre as mentioned in Libin’s footnote 1.

The firm of Erard:

Probably the best-known, the most distinguished and longest established  of French piano manufacturers. The firm was founded by Sébastien Erard (b Strasbourg 1752, d La Muette, nr. Passy 1831) who was also a renowned harp maker. Parallel businesses were run in both Paris and London.

Jacob Frederick Zeitter:

He was active in London 1833-46 and the partnership of F.Zeitter & K.C. Winkelmann established in Brunwick in 1837. This firm was apparently still active in 1981. The F. Zeitter was either the same one or at least related to J. F. Zeitter.  

The Ruckers family:

They were a Flemish family of harpsichord and virginal makers active in Antwerp from the 16^th to the early 18^th centuries who had a strong influence on stringed keyboard instruments throughout Western Europe.  The leading members of the family were Hans Ruckers (c1540-1598), his two sons Joannes (1578-1642) and Andreas (1579-1645) and Andreas’s son also Andreas (1607-1655). The tone of Ruckers instruments was so admired particularly in France, that instead of building new instruments, makers would often take old ones by the Ruckers and adapt them to comply with current tastes in decoration.