In two parts, the upper cabinet
with a Gothic arch galleried cornice above two doors
opening to reveal three shelves,
the top shelf concave with notches,
over two short drawers;
the lower section with a
Baltic Pine dressing slide
above three paneled drawers resting on a molded base raised on square
tapered supports;
secondary woods of Baltic Pine; brass hardware appears original
Condition: Very good condition;
brasses appear original; slight wear to the drawer fronts;
small veneer patches
throughout; vertical shrinkage crack to the veneer on each door
88.5"(7' 4 1/2") High x 49" Wide x 23" Deep
#4543
RUSSIAN
NEOCLASSICAL FURNITURE
During
the second half of the eighteenth century,
Russia was to witness an
unrivalled program of palace building, particularly under the
enlightened
rule of Catherine the Great (1762-1796).
On June 28, 1762, Catherine
dethroned her husband, Peter III, thus beginning a thirty-four year reign
that would see her country become not only a modern state, but a power equal
to the most significant of her European neighbors. During her sovereignty,
Russian territory expanded, the arts and sciences flourished, and many of
the great palaces were built. So significant were the advances made in this
period, it would be remembered as “the magnificent age.”
Closely linked to the construction of new palaces in Russia
is the history of furniture manufacture. So many luxurious new buildings
required appropriate furnishings, but without a significant source in Russia
itself, the majority in the early period was imported from Europe. However,
once the need was established, Russia would soon develop her own
cabinet-making industry, the significant growth of which can be seen in the
records of the Lepke sales, held in Berlin on behalf of the Soviet
authorities on 6-7 November 1928 and 4-5 June 1929. The number of lots of
Louis XV furniture (pre-1770) in Russian sales is three times that of
furniture made later, suggesting a significant decline in furniture imports
post-1770.
A feature that distinguishes the work of Russian
cabinet-makers from their Western counterparts is their departure from
strictly neo-classical patterns and designs. While their work does of course
refer to these established motifs, their interpretations have a far more
intimate and bucolic nature.
Antoine Chenevère: Russian Furniture Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
London. 1988. |