'THE ROTHSCHILD RAFFAELLI MOSAIC TABLE'

'THE ROTHSCHILD RAFFAELLI MOSAIC TABLE'

AN IMPORTANT ITALIAN MICROMOSAIC AND SIENA MARBLE CENTRE TABLE

ATTRIBUTED TO GIACOMO RAFFAELLI AND HIS WORKSHOP, ROME OR MILAN, C.1800-10

the circular top finely inlaid with an outer laurel wreath and a band of rinceaux decoration of scrolling leaves and stylised flowers on a white ground, with an inner border of a ribbon spiralling around a vine with leaves and morning glory flowers, the centre with quarter veneered Egyptian alabaster and a lapis lazuli rondel, the revolving top with a gilt bronze band with engine turned decoration, on a Siena marble base, the stem carved with acanthus leaves, the triform plinth carved with further leaves and fluting with a band of ribbon tied laurel leaves

93.3cm high, 95.8cm diameter

Provenance

Alfred de Rothschild (1842-1918) the Winter Garden at Halton House, Buckinghamshire

Lionel de Rothschild (1882-1942)

Edmund de Rothschild (1916-2009)

The Trustees of Exbury House

Literature

Rothschild Archive, London, Manuscript: 000/174/C/3,, Christie, Manson & Woods Probate Valuation of 'The Estate of Alfred C. de Rothschild, Esq. C.V.O. Deceased, Halton House Tring', 1918. Listed as 'An Italian circular table, with mosaic top on giallo marble tripod carved with acanthus foliage, £80.0.0.'

Catalogue Note

Giacomo Raffaelli (1753-1836) was born in Rome and his family were involved in the mosaic industry providing smalti to the Vatican Mosaic Workshop, the material which mosaics are made of. Giacomo studied painting and sculpture at an early age. He became one of the most celebrated artists in hardstones and mosaics and is credited with the invention of micromosaics in about 1775. He was patronised by Pope Pius XV and worked in both the Vatican workshops as well as from his own studio in Piazza di Spagna.

Raffaelli executed a wide variety of objects and furnishings and attained international fame that culminated in 1787 when he was awarded the title 'Councillor of Liberal Arts' by Stanislaus II Augustus, King of Poland. In Rome, he had workshops on the Salita di San Sebastianello and later in Vita del Balbuino. Following the French occupation of Rome in 1797 and the collapse of the local mosaic market he moved to Milan to direct a mosaic workshop and school. This had been founded at Napoleon's orders by Eugene de Beauharnais (Napoleon's stepson) who became Viceroy of Italy in 1805. During the Milan period he executed the monumental Last Supper based on a copy by Giuseppe Bossi. He also produced a fireplace and clock that were said to have been presented to Napoleon as gifts from Pius VII and later housed at Malmaison. He returned to Rome around 1817-20 to his home at 92 Via Babuino (which was designed by the Neo-classical architect Giuseppe Valadier) where he passed away in 1936.

Raffaelli's output was considerable. Some of his most important commissions were for the Polish court, including a portrait of the King's brother Prince Michael Poniatowski, Bishop of Poland. He also supplied a pair of specimen marble centre tables to Sir Clifford Constable, for Burton Constable (now in Temple Newsam) and the impressive 'Centrepiece of the Viceroy', probably made for Eugene de Beuharnais (displayed in the Villa Carlotta, Cadenabbia).

The Attribution

Giacomo Raffaelli is considered the only master of both hardstones and micromosaics. The use of both media in our table point to his manufacture. We can observe various techniques in the making of the mosaic table which also points to Raffaelli. For instance, the inner ribbon band uses both oval and rectilinear tesserae in a naturalistic floral pattern which is evident in his other tables. Other trademark techniques are also evident, including horizontal rows of background tesserae, the outlining of leaves with a single row of tesserae and meticulous execution.

The use of rinceaux was a popular motif in tables made at the end of the 18th century by Raffaelli and his contemporaries, for example the pair of