Centerpiece. Gilded bronze, marble. France, late 19th century Centrepiece or planter that has a globular body carved in veined marble in pink tones (of a type similar to a very popular one often used in works by the French school during the Rococo of the 18th century) and mercury-gilded marble bosses. These are decorated with lion's claws on the legs, simple architectural mouldings and masks with vegetal elements (feminine and monstrous, alternating), and a border that extends towards the inner area of the pieces creating like two wings or handles, decorated with vegetal and architectural elements (scrolls, flowers, bows, leaves, etc.) both on the outside and inside of this area, leaving what would be the inner area of the marble pieces smooth. The classicist inspiration of the decorative elements of the couple is common in works of the French school since the 18th century. Some details (for example, the claws that finish the legs) are seen in Louis XIV style centerpieces dating from that century, while other elements are more often seen in Louis XVI style works (one of the main styles of the Neoclassical style). There is only one known piece preserved in a private collection in the United States of America. Weight: 16 kg
Jug. Silver. Madrid, Spain, 1803. With hallmarks. Published in the Encyclopedia of Spanish and Viceroyal American Silver. Bibliography: Fernández, Alejandro; Munoa, Rafael; Rabasco, Jorge. “Encyclopedia of Spanish and Viceregal American Silver”. Second edition, corrected and expanded. Torreangulo Graphic Art, Madrid, 1985. Page 361, image 671. Jug with a moulded circular base and a semi-ovate belly on which a concave neck is raised by a band. The mouth, with a sinuous line, is highlighted with another fine smooth moulding and is warped at the front; it is covered with a lid that follows the same lines and is finished with a frog. The handle has a broken line, ends in plant motifs and is highlighted with a wide, smooth band or moulding towards the centre of the jug. This jug can be included in a group inspired by a traditional European model brought to Spain and initially spread by Platerías Martínez (compare, noting similarities and differences, with the silver jug in its colour marked in 1806 from the Royal Silver Factory of Madrid in the National Archaeological Museum, also topped with a frog on the lid; or with a jug from Barcelona dated around 1810, preserved in the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid). In 18th century Spain, it was the capital that set the standard in silverwork: baroque, rococo and neoclassical styles coexisted, but the first trend was soon abandoned, replaced by the second, which was introduced around 1740, with Neoclassicism appearing around 1770 and gradually imposing itself from 1780. The hallmarks it presents are those of the Villa y Corte de Madrid, which also allow the piece to be dated. Weight: 1,100 grams.
Oriental ship's rudder, late 18th – early 19th century. Carved wood and brass. An oriental ship's wheel with an English influence, made of brass and high-quality carved wood. The top of the wheel is worked in a round shape, taking the form of a greyhound's head with stylised features. The greyhound is a typical motif in English decorative arts of the period, but its essential, elongated and sinuous treatment reminds us that we are looking at a piece of oriental craftsmanship. In fact, the central area of the wheel is completely carved with the figure of a dragon coiled around the mast. This mythical animal represents the power of change in nature, the Tao, as well as the concept of yang (masculine), and is related to time as a bringer of rain and water. It is also often used as a national symbol of China, and in fact appeared on the national flag until the end of the Qing dynasty. Here he is depicted with great attention to detail, evidencing a virtuosity typical of oriental ornamental sculpture: we see each of the dragon's scales, and even the ripples of the water beneath its body, the leaves among which it swims... The lower third of the rudder is almost completely unadorned, displaying a smooth, slightly curved profile. At its end it is decorated with a simple recessed carving, with a geometric motif on two planes.
Jug. Silver. Madrid, 1847. With contrast marks. Silver jug in its colour, with a flat handle decorated with simple openwork plant elements between two smooth bands and a raised shape towards the top, a large mouth that extends forward, and a body with different lines and decorations organised in three registers, and a circular foot with a band of architectural motifs. These three registers are organised: a smooth area towards the top, followed by a grooved part and another ribbed part. Both the decoration and the lines of the jug show a clear classicist influence. It has engraved initials of ownership (FAL). The hallmarks are those of Villa y Corte de Madrid (which also provide the date) and that of the silversmith Juan Sellán, trained at the Real Fábrica de Platerías de Martínez in 1821 and incorporated into the Colegio de Plateros in 1842, the year in which his first known works are dated. The present model can be found with slight variations in the production of the Real Fábrica de Platerías Martínez in Madrid, and was later taken up by Juan Sellán. Weight: 1108 grams.
Lectern easel, 19th century. Magnificent carved wooden easel decorated at the top with a crest of plant motifs framed by a curved pediment and simple motifs on the sides. The support for the canvas or paper is provided by a horizontal crossbar and two mouldings with plant motifs, which also have plant decorations, as does the moulding located in this area. The legs have ornaments of the same type, but much flatter. In the 19th century, the mixture of styles that is presented in this work was very common: the top trim is reminiscent of Rococo works, while the sides can be more closely related to the Renaissance.
Fifteen medallions with profile portraits. Hard wood, metal. 19th century. A set of tondos with a hanging ring displaying profile portraits of historical figures on the front and an inscription and number on the back. Bois durci is a paste of very fine sawdust (usually ebony or rosewood) mixed with albumen (blood or egg white) or gelatin, which was poured into molds to give the desired shape through pressure and heat. It was a technique patented in Paris in 1885 by François Lepage and has been widely used in the manufacture of small objects ever since. The sitters are indicated by name: “Prince Albert” (Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, consort of Queen Victoria of England), “Napoleon, Prince Imperial / né le Mars 1856” (Napoleon Eugene Louis Bonaparte, son of Napoleon III and Eugenie de Montijo), “Conte Camillo Benso di Cavour” (Camillo Paolo Filippo Giulio Benso, Count of Cavour, Italian statesman and important figure on the road to Italian unification), “F. Mendelssohn” (Felix Mendelssohn, German Romantic composer, conductor and pianist), “Michael Cervantes” (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the Spanish writer), “Napoleon II Empereur / 1859” (Carlos Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870), “St. Vincent de Paul” (Saint Vincent de Paul, French priest of the 18th century canonized in 1737), “Victor Hugo” (French Romantic poet, playwright and novelist, who was also an influential politician and intellectual of the 19th century), “J. Haydn” (the Austrian composer known as Joseph Haydn), “Rossini” (Gioachino Rossini was an Italian composer famous for his operas –The Barber of Seville, Othello, William Tell…-), “Pius IV POntifex Maximus” (Giovanni Angelo Medici was elected Pope of the Catholic Church with the name of Pius IV between 1559 and 1565), “Leopold I Roi des Belges” (Leopold Beorg Christian Friedrich was a German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who became the first King of the Belgians in 1831), “WA Mozart” (the well-known as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a German composer, pianist, conductor and teacher, master of classicism), “Beethoven” (Ludwig van Beethoven[a] was a German composer, conductor, pianist and piano teacher), “Victoria Queen of England” (Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901). Some private collections and institutions, such as the National Museum of Romanticism in Madrid, hold similar specimens to the present ones.
Louis XV style bedside table with bronze and marquetry decoration. The four cabriole legs are joined at the bottom by a square shelf with concave edges and decorated with plant elements in gilt bronze, as is the waist of the table. The upper top, round with straight extensions, displays scrolls with leaves and flowers in inlaid. Both the curves of the profile and the bronzes were inspired by examples of the Louis XV style.
Enameled porcelain vase with interior scene. Inspired by Sèvres models The interplay of tones between the enamel of the vase and the gold appliqués gives all the prominence to the two scenes on its fronts. These show two interiors of a house belonging to a wealthy bourgeois family in the manner in which these works were made at the beginning of the 19th century. The classicist elements that decorate the work relate it to works of the same century from the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres (France).
Advertising poster, Guerra y Ruiz, Exporters of Cognac-Style Wines and Sherry Brandy (…), Jerez de la Frontera. Cardboard. Valencia, Spain, first half of the 20th century. It has marks. Poster made in Valencia by Lit. S. Durt for the company Guerra y Ruiz, which is mentioned in the Statutes of the Guild Association of Breeders-Exporters of Jerez de la Forntera Wines (Jerez, Typographic Workshops: Plaza del Carmen, 1, 1921).
Poster, Buen Suceso Pharmacy and Chemical Laboratory in Jerez de la Frontera. Cardboard. Possibly Spain, circa the first half of the 20th century. It has marks. Poster for a shop interior advertising the Buen Suceso pharmacy and chemical laboratory in Jerez de la Frontera, which was opened at 12 Calle Caballeros by Antonio Soto Flores (1866-1926) after completing his pharmacy studies in Madrid and returning to Jerez. He maintained this business until the beginning of the 20th century, when he transferred it to Manuel Salvago. In the 1920s, the business was run by Rafael Bonald. Apparently, part of the pharmacy's original decor can be seen in the Café Central on Calle Remedios.
Viennese tabletop jewelry box or chest. Wood, enamel, bronze. Austria, second half of the 19th century. Requires restoration. Rectangular table or writing desk with four rectangular projecting corners and a finial projecting from an openwork railing, forming an architectural composition and ending in a gilt-bronze child figure. The four corners of the piece feature semicircular arches with gilt-bronze twisted columns, sheltering bronze female figures in a dancing pose, with other children above. In addition to a series of gilt-bronze appliqués throughout the piece, there are a series of hand-painted enamel plaques with mythological scenes in pastel tones. Two doors on the front give access to three interior drawers, with handles and enamel plaque decorations depicting landscapes. Note that the doors are also decorated with scenes inside. These types of cabinets were highly prized in courtly settings, and were used in private women's homes to store jewelry or other valuables, while also being highly decorative. The shape, materials (ebony or ebonized wood, bronze, etc.), and enamel plaques follow the style of the 19th-century Viennese school, which specialized in this type of cabinet (the most important were made in Vienna). It was unusual to feature corners with architectural shelters, as can be seen in this example (there are two other examples in private collections, one with plain bronze columns and the other with porcelain and twisted columns, both dating from around 1880).
Allegory of Time. Oil on panel. Circle of Jacob de Backer (act. Antwerp, 1571-1585). Exhibition: “Reality, time and artifice. Still life and vanitas in Baroque culture” (21 October 2021 to 30 January 2022), Caja de Burgos Foundation, Cultural Cordón (Palace of the Constables of Castile), Burgos. Bibliography: brochure and catalogue of the aforementioned exhibition. Oil on panel showing, in the foreground, a naked child figure and a scene in the background on the right, with a landscape of trees and rocks only partially visible. The child is seated on a pedestal, protected by a cloth, and is carrying a branch in his right arm, which is resting on an hourglass; he rests his right foot on a skull; his left arm is held out straight, directing the viewer's gaze towards the scene. This has Christ cut out against a rocky figure, half-naked and with a halo; below, there are various male figures (some reclining, others barely visible), among which the one with his back to the viewer stands out, a soldier who covers his face with his own shield. Both the hourglass and the skull are common elements in allegories related to the passage of time since the Renaissance, usually reinforced with some Christian scene or allusion (here, the Resurrection to the right). Thus, the meaning provided would be very close to a very common and well-known Baroque genre such as “Memento Mori” (remember that you are going to die), shown both in the form of allegories and still lifes. Compare the infant figure with the infant St. John from the “Madonna and Child with the Infant St. John” in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, dated between 1590 and 1600, for similarities and differences. Also the figure of the Risen Christ with the engraving by Hieronymus Wierix after Jacob de Backer that was published by Hans van Luck around 1580-1590 (British Museum, London). Jacob de Backer or Jacques de Backer was a Flemish painter active in Antwerp between 1571 and 1585. He is believed to have trained with Antonio van Palermo and Hendrik van Steenwijk and to have been strongly influenced by Vasari's High Mannerism, despite not having travelled to Italy. Despite the little that is known about his life, the engravings that emerged from his works are always notable, and his production focused on religious subjects and allegories. His work is preserved in institutions such as the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, the Hermitage Museum, the Royal Monastery of El Escorial (Madrid, Spain), the Getty Center (Los Angeles, USA), the Leuven Museum (Belgium), the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston (Texas, USA), the National Museum in Warsaw (Poland), etc., and in some notable private collections.
Jews in the desert gathering manna. Oil on canvas. 17th century. Oil on canvas, arranged horizontally, showing a figurative theme with a mountainous landscape in the background. In the foreground, a series of figures have been placed, creating various planes and highlighting the two figures in the centre with their postures and gestures; a little further towards the background, on the right, there are some tents and a series of “cut” figures. Note the presence of vases and other containers, decorated and with shapes clearly influenced by classicism. The iconographic series of Moses (Exodus) has a large number of themes, and one of them is the fall and collection of Manna in the desert, which had to take place before the sun melted this food that God gave to the Jews six days a week. Stylistically, note the anatomical study of the figures with their backs turned in the foreground, which creates a space prior to the "protagonist" Moses, who is raising his hand and eyes towards the sky, and the variety of positions and the care taken with the composition, which results in a very clear work despite the number of figures present in it.
Relief “Virgin and Child with Angels”. Italy, 15th-16th centuries. Bronze in its color and gold, lapis lazuli, rock crystal, enamel. In the centre of the work, the enthroned figure of Mary is shown, with a cloak over her shoulders and hair and holding the Child on her knees, who appears to be addressing one of the angels. The Virgin is also sheltered by an ogee arch supported by turned columns and elevated visually by steps. This composition achieves a very striking contrast: the figure in dark bronze, in contrast with the lapis lazuli background and the part of the arch and its exterior, in gilded bronze. Below the steps appears a heraldic shield in enamel with a key on an azure background. The kneeling angels are flanking this figure, and, as they appear in dark bronze, they visually share the “category” of religious figures with Mary, while their (lower) position gives greater status to both the Mother and Jesus. The rest of the composition is completed with a delicate landscape: buildings and walls on mountains, clouds in the sky, plants, stones, etc. Towards the outside, there is another lapis lazuli frame decorated in the corners with appliqués, giving way to the carved and polychrome wood frame. Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious stone that was already known in the 7th millennium BC, found in deposits from the Caucasus to Mauritania. From the end of the Middle Ages, its export to Europe increased, and it was used more frequently since then both as a pigment in paintings after being ground (giving rise to the finest and most expensive of blues, and of colours in many cases), as a background for paintings, inlays in works of art, jewellery and, a little later, in the well-known “hard stone works”. The figure of Mary still shows an influence of Gothic models, although more European than Italian, together with elements that could already indicate a closeness to the Renaissance: although the nakedness of Jesus is already shown in Gothic works (Madonna with Angels by Fra Angelico), the creation of space by means of the play with the cloth in front of Christ can be appreciated in more advanced paintings (Madonna and Child by Domenico Ghirlandaio, National Gallery, London); the presence of a powerful throne can frequently be seen in Italian Madonnas of the Quattrocento (and before), but not quite as it is presented here. As for the landscape, it should be compared, for example, with that of the fresco by Condottiero Guidoriccio of Fogliano (Simone Martini, finished in 1328). This is a work of great technical and aesthetic quality, not to mention the materials chosen for its creation, comparable only to outstanding examples from around the world, such as those preserved in the Palazzo Madama in Turin (Italy), in which coral also plays an important role. Also worth mentioning are works such as the plaque of hard stones (lapis lazuli among them) with a relief of Mary and Child in bronze, made around 1580-1600 in Italy and preserved in the Art Institute of Chicago; or the “Panorama della Piazza della Signoria” (Jacopo Bilivert, ca. 1599) from the Pitti Museum; or the “Banquet of the Gods”, based on a design by Guglielmo della Porta, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of New York.
Healing of the Paralytic. Oil on panel. Castilian School, 16th century. Partially rebuilt. A religious scene set in a prestigious interior, made of two-tone stone, depicting a series of male figures interacting with each other. Ten of them are standing, with golden halos engraved with architectural motifs (one of them carries a palm tree, another a walking stick); one rests a bare foot on a footstool, which also appears to hold the head or upper part of another figure, who appears lying down, looking up, with a bandaged foot. It is important to note the restorations on the panel, in which a series of elements have been drawn, continuing what was preserved where possible. Iconographically, this is an unclear issue: given the presence of a crutch in the hand, the bandaged foot of the recumbent figure is logical and, if Christ is the central character, we could be looking at a healing (perhaps that of the paralytic in Capernaum which took place in a house, or the healings in the temple of God mentioned by Matthew [21:14-15]...), although the presence of the palm suggests a burial (according to some apocryphal gospels, church fathers... an angel appeared to Mary three days before she died/ascended to give her a palm from Paradise which she was to give to the Apostles to take to her body) or a saint who has been martyred. Stylistically, the Flemish influences presented in the panel are clear (faces, fabrics, etc.), along with details more characteristic of Spanish Gothic painting (golden halos, architecture, etc.), which may place the work within the Hispano-Flemish movement. The oculus with two-tone red and white voussoirs was common in Spanish architecture, and this element in the panel can be compared with that of the Church of Santa María la Mayor de Abiesgo in Huesca (without colors), the Mudejar Church of the Virgin of Tobed in Zaragoza (with oculi with latticework in these colors), or the Church of San Pedro de Palencia (with an oculus with similar lines on the interior). Pink and green tiles (although not arranged as in this work) are found in The Virgin of the Catholic Monarchs, preserved in the Prado Museum, dated between 1491 and 1493 and linked to a Castilian Hispano-Flemish painter. The National Art Museum of Catalonia houses a Virgin of the Milk with a donor linked to León and dated to the second half of the 15th century. In it, Jesus wears a halo similar to those on this panel. Some see a strong influence of Pedro Berruguete (Paredes de Nava, Palencia c. 1450 - Madrid? 1503) in this panel; compare it with the Birth of the Virgin in the Altarpiece of the Church of San Martín de Becerril de Campos (circa 1495, Diocesan Museum of Palencia), the Lamentation over the Dead Christ (Palencia Cathedral, circa 1490), etc.
“Col Chemise” necklace, in 18k rose gold and platinum, with decoration of simple 8/8 cut diamonds. Designed as a necklace with a box, it is constructed by a double “Brick link” chain that develops on its front face a ribbon decoration decorated on its bezel by diamonds set in platinum in the form of a crescent festoon finishing off, creating a shirt collar from the center of which hang two beehive-shaped tassels. Weight: 135 grm Diamonds set: 136 Approximate weight: 6.50 Cts. Period and style: Chevalier. Typology: “Col Chemise”, Circa 1945-50
Pair of children. Polychrome pine wood. 18th century. Pair of polychrome pine wood carvings depicting two children playing a wind instrument, both seated, with their hands towards their faces, and slightly raising one leg to add some movement to a posture that would otherwise be perhaps too static. Given their postures and attitudes, they would have been part of a large, high-quality altarpiece, judging by the carving, the details, the hair, the proportions, etc., elements in which musical angels were not unusual. Note that the angels present do not have wings, and in these cases are called “putti” and are, in the same way, figures that are commonly present in religious settings despite having emerged from Renaissance classicism and its sources from Antiquity. The proportions of the sculptures, the anatomy, the symmetry, the certain plasticity of the hair, etc. are elements that speak of a Neoclassical influence in these sculptures. Likewise, a certain resemblance can be seen with works from the 18th century of the Castilian school.
Console table with lion heads. Carved and gilded wood, marble top. Possibly Italian school, 18th century. A console table with four legs joined by a jamb that ends in a central piece, made of carved and gilded wood, designed to stand against a wall and completed with a light-toned veined marble top that follows the lines of the furniture (curves on three fronts and straight lines on the legs). The slender, molded waist features a raised edge of leaf garlands that join the lion protomes that crown the legs and the flowered scallop shell at the front; the legs, with architectural lines, with volutes at the ends and leaf garlands, are topped with lion heads; the aforementioned jamb also features carved leaves and flowers. Stylistically, both the waist and tabletop lines, the elements of the rest of the furniture, and the material used in it can be linked to 18th-century European works. The lines of the legs (straight compared to other Rococo pieces from, for example, the French school) are reminiscent of pieces based on designs by Daniel Marot (1661-1752), a Dutch architect, furniture designer, and engraver, who were also pieces from the Dutch school. However, it should be noted that his designs influenced numerous creations throughout the continent. It is also worth noting the presence of an 18th-century console table in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, whose general lines (though not so much the decoration, as this is more Rococo than the present one) are reminiscent of this work in some details. Compare also with those of the Church of Santa Maria Nova in Naples (Italy), with those of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, etc.
Extendable table (6 metres). Mahogany wood, metal, leather, etc. England, circa 1930. Rectangular table made of mahogany carved with rectangles of another material in green (leather) edged in gold on the top, which has eight legs finished with rollers and a “worm screw” system under the tabletop that allows its extension up to six meters thanks to a manually operated crank that is attached to one of the smaller sides of the piece. The claws are very common in 18th century English examples (a type known as “claw and ball” with a cabriolet leg, a shape that, although more traditionally French, spread rapidly throughout Europe). The main theory of experts is that it is a design derived from Chinese art (a dragon’s claw grasping a pearl or similar) and that it would have reached the West thanks to the trade in porcelain, silk, etc., appearing for the first time in English silverware and, from there, spreading to other arts. The transformation of the dragon’s claw into a lion’s paw is attributed to English cabinetmakers, this animal symbolising English authority. Thus, the “ball and claw” was popular in England between approximately 1710 and 1750 (later recovering as the styles of the past became fashionable again), and with variations in shape and lines (shape of the claw, details of the nails and “fingers”, proportion between the sphere and the extremity, etc.) depending on the area in which this decorative element was used. The decoration present towards the waist of the piece of furniture and on the edge of the upper board, in slight relief and leaving the wood in its colour, is of an architectural and vegetal theme and shows an influence of ancient classical models (Greek and Roman) both in its motifs and in the composition (symmetry on the sides of the piece of furniture, harmony, etc.). As for the presence of the fabric upholstery on the top, this is a more common element in tables intended for conferences, desks or games than in dining tables (which usually have a wooden top), although this detail does not exclude any function for it. Also worth noting is the preservation of the rollers on the legs, an element that used to be removed or lost with use and the passage of time. 428x160x86 cm. Extended 700x160x86 cm Height up to ball 75 cms.
Contemporary dining table following English models. Dining table with a rectangular board made from a single piece of carved walnut wood, inspired by old examples of English origin in its simple and elegant lines. The six legs are joined in pairs at the bottom by a series of slats in the form of frames to stabilise the piece.
Pair of polychrome wooden sculptures. “Saint John and Saint Paul”. Castilian school, 16th century. Both male figures are depicted standing, with their main iconographic attributes and dressed in the timeless tunics that the period reserved for sacred persons. The younger one holds a chalice in his hand, from which a snake emerges, and an eagle at his feet; the bearded man holds a sword with the hilt visible. The first is Saint John, with the Tetramorph eagle alluding to his Gospel, and the chalice related to the episode of the Golden Legend of James of the Voragine in which he tells how the Emperor Domitian tried to kill him with poisoned wine, which escaped in the form of a snake after the evangelist blessed the cup. The second is Saint Paul, with that characteristic appearance that relates him to much earlier paleo-Christian works and with the sword of his martyrdom, which also refers to a text from his Letter to the Ephesians. Stylistically, both devotional carvings in the round show a marked Italian Renaissance influence in the drapery, contrapposto, proportions and gestures, distancing the works from the other trend of the time which was closer to Flemish models, which preferred greater drama. Gothic has been left behind, as demonstrated by the naturalness of the faces, folds, anatomy and gestures, after much effort. It was necessary to first accustom the clientele to the new tastes and for the artists to learn the technical and aesthetic novelties that the arrival of the Renaissance entailed, and it developed in different periods and at very different levels depending on the region or the artist. Compare the works, for example, with the San Juan de circo by Juan Rodríguez from the Fundación Simón Díaz (work housed in the Museo de las Ferias in Medina del Campo, Valladolid).
Altar top. Embossed silver in its colour, wood, mirrors. LLORENTE, José (1760-1799); SOTIL, Juan Antonio (1754-1768). Vitoria, Spain, 18th century. With contrast marks. Altar top made of embossed silver in its colour on a wooden core with seven oval-shaped mirrors and profiles cut in curves and counter-curves. The upper part has a canopy imitating textiles from which hang a series of small bells and shelters a dove with outstretched wings, situated in front of a ventral figure and a cloud with winged angel heads. Approximately the upper three quarters of the work show a decoration in light relief with sun rays, scrolls, rocailles, oval mirrors, circular tears resembling rain, flowers, leaves, a bunch of ears of wheat next to a vine with a bunch of grapes, etc. combined with five mirrors and following a symmetrical arrangement; the remaining part does not have reliefs but does have two mirrors. This type of liturgical goldsmith's work was relatively common in churches, cathedrals, etc. with significant purchasing power and influence, although not many of those made have survived because they are valuable materials that can be melted down and looted at certain times. Let us mention, highlighting the differences, the silver Altar of the Cathedral of Seville (16th-17th centuries, several silversmiths), the set of the main chapel of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (17th century), the Manifestador-Tabernacle of the Cathedral of Valencia from the 18th century, the silver altarpiece of the Diocesan Museum of Huesca (work of José Estrada and Juan and Jerónimo Carbonell y Gros made between the 17th and 19th centuries, which was placed in front of the Main Altarpiece of the Cathedral, and has a canopy and pendant bells), a display for the Blessed Sacrament made of gilded silver and in its colour dated in the 18th century and which is found in the Museum of the Cathedral of Segovia, etc. The presence of the Holy Spirit (a dove) and the bunch of wheat ears and the vine with the bunch of grapes would link the piece with the Eucharist, and it is possible that it is a fragment of an altar (permanent or not) of a monstrance. Stylistically, it is clear that the work belongs to a Rococo that was already somewhat advanced. The hallmarks present in various parts of the silver place the creation of the finial in Vitoria (Spain), also providing an approximate date (around the 18th century's 60s) and the names of two master silversmiths: Juan Antonio Sotil or de Sotil (possibly the hallmark) and José Llorente. Juan Sotil was a silversmith based in Vitoria who also worked as a hallmark for the city (the City Council appointed him appraiser of diamonds and precious stones in 1751, and hallmark for the city in 1769, a position he held until 1779, when he resigned and Mauricio Llorente was appointed). Works with his hallmark are preserved in prominent institutions such as the Museum of Sacred Art in Vitoria (Reliquary of Santa Lucía from the hermitage of Santa Lucía in Vitoria, 18th century). José Llorente was another silversmith from Logroño. He passed his master's exam in Burgos, and is documented between 1760 and 1799. Works with his punch are preserved in the Church of Santiago de Logroño (portaviático), the Old Cathedral of Vitoria (four candlesticks), etc.
Pair of candelabras. Rouge Griotte marble, gilded bronze. France, possibly Napoleon III, 19th century. Pair of seven-light candelabras made of marble and mercury-gilded bronze. The base, raised on four legs, has plant borders around a central element on its fronts, and gives way to a garland base of Roman influence. Next, the base of the “vase” that forms the body of the candelabra has been decorated with plant elements, also present on the body in the form of garlands, joining these two ram heads; note the extraordinary length of the marble neck, which serves as an axis for the arms of the lights, worked in the form of plant scrolls ending in vase-shaped burners. It is also worth noting that the marble part is not made in one piece. Although there is no record of the signature, certain details denote the high quality of this pair of candlesticks. First, the stone pieces are hand-carved Rouge Griotte. Also known as Rouge du Roi, it is a Belgian marble highly appreciated in decorative arts of French influence or origin. Second, the detail of the neck, elongated and drawing a flared mouth at the end, is not at all common in French candlesticks when we talk about marble. Third, the quality of the gilding is clear, surely mercury gilded (ormolu). Stylistically, influences of French decorative arts of the 18th century can be appreciated (ram protomes, garlands, etc.), but reinterpreted in the style of the 19th century (adding details of Rococo, neoclassical, etc. influence). Weight: 39 kg.
Allegory of Venus with Cupids. Oil on canvas. Enthroned by BOUCHER, François (Paris, 1703-1770). The scene presents, in the background, an idyllic natural landscape, with trees to the left and an open horizon to the right, revealing orange clouds alluding to a sunset over rocky mountains. In the foreground, a young woman appears reclining, dressed in a white tunic, a red skirt and a blue cloak, and a red ribbon in her hair; to her left, two cupids or cherubs appear, one with a garland of flowers and the other seems to be holding the young woman by the cloak. Iconographically, it could be Venus, although it is more common for the goddess to be presented half-naked or completely naked, so it is also possible that it is an allegory (given the crown of flowers, perhaps of Spring). Or, being a Rococo painting, it could also allude allegorically to a more abstract concept (virtue in the purity of love, etc.). The oil painting is set in the environment of François Boucher, a French painter considered one of the most important of the gallant style, situated within the Rococo. He was highly appreciated for his paintings of idyllic themes, the voluptuousness of his treatment, his mythological, allegorical and pastoral works and for several portraits of Madame de Pompadour. He sought a very detailed finish in his works, with a somewhat peculiar palette. After a somewhat troubled apprenticeship, he won the Prix de Rome in 1723 (which he could not enjoy due to lack of funds until four years later). Upon his return, he entered the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, of which he became rector, and was also director of the Royal Gobelin Tapestry Factory, being named First Painter to the king in 1765. In addition to paintings, usually small in format, he also made illustrations for books, designed theatre costumes and sets, tapestries, porcelain, etc. His work is preserved in institutions such as the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, etc.
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