An Italian Gilt-Bronze Frame with Mirror, Rome, Mid-18th Century

the cresting with a stylised pleated shell issuing floral swags resting on a broken pediment, above a cartouche inset on a rectangular frame, the outer border with a repeated cabochon and acanthus motif, the inner reeded border applied with repeated stylised leaves or clasps; the whole applied with C- and S-scrolls and budding acanthus leaves

European Private Collection

This superb frame displays an attractive original gilding which would be enhanced by light cleaning. There is a break to the C scrolls at the left top corner and a loss to the gilt bronze. The top right corner also has a loss although these are barely noticeable as they blend with the central cresting. The cartouche panel to the apron has a small section lacking but again this is barely noticeable in the overall decorative scheme. The later mirror plate with some scratches to the front, some pitting to the backing and some areas of re-silvering.
"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

Enrico Colle, Angela Griseri, Roberto Valeriani, Bronzi decorativi in Italia, Milan, 2001.

Alvar Gonzales-Palacios, Arredi e ornamenti alla corte di Roma: 1560-1795, Milan, 2004.

 

This remarkable frame was almost certainly conceived in Rome during the mid-18th century, in the mature years of a rococo style that could still make full use of the magnificent baroque past of the Eternal city. In fact, the rococo elements are superimposed on to a fundamentally baroque structure, resulting in great plasticity, as epitomised by the broken pediment on which the highly original cresting rests. Because of the nature of the medium employed, even the most sophisticated works of this kind were grounded in architectural solutions typical of the late 17th century. Notable is the lack of figurative elements that are usually observed in coeval pieces, and which further substantiates a dating close to the 1750s. Additionally, the bold rocaille scrolls applied to the outer border’s angles call to mind the sculptural scrolls found on giltwood console tables achieved in Rome between 1745-55.

Few names of Roman bronziers have survived; among those that do is that of Giovanni Giardini (1646-1721), whose collection of designs, Disegni diversi inventati e delineati da Giovanni Giardini da Forlì, published in 1714, had a long-lasting impact both with bronze workers and silversmiths. The leading silversmith of the following generation was without a doubt Francesco Giardoni (1692-1757); influenced by Giardini, he is known to have executed several gilt-bronze frames for Pope Clemens XII Corsini, often devised for mosaic panels, such as the two gifted to Maria Amalia, Queen of Naples, and now in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. This practice of using gilt-bronze or gilt-copper frames for pietre dure panels or micromosaics became especially popular in the 1770s, when several were created for Pope Pius VI by Paolo and Giuseppe Spagna, to be gifted to foreign princes and dignitaries.

Intriguingly, Giardoni also collaborated to the creation of the Capela de São João Baptista for the Igreja de São Roque, Lisbon – commissioned by King John V of Portugal (1689-1750) – entirely built in Rome and transported to Portugal in 1747. The decoration framing the chapel’s mosaics, its liturgical candlesticks and vessels are not entirely dissimilar to elements found on the offered frame. The chiselling and punching of the frame’s bronze are also typical of silver, and a comparison can be drawn between the present frame and a pair of diminutive silver gilt frames made in the 1740s by the Roman Giuseppe Rusca (1695-1745), formerly in the collection of a Portuguese noble family, sold Christie’s London (9 July 2009, lot 113, £373,250). These display a relatable inventiveness in the deceivingly unassuming rectangular borders, with similarly more elaborate elements fitted to the cresting; this includes baroque s-scrolls and an interesting chiselling of the acanthus leaf and budding swags.

A true palimpsest of 18th century Roman decorative arts, this bronze frame was also almost certainly meant to contain a heavy mosaic.