: Two French masterpieces by the leading French cabinetmakers of
the Eighteenth Century, André-Charles Boulle and Bernard II Van
Risenburgh, (BVRB) sold for nearly $8 million at Christie's New
York on October 23.
The sale of important European furniture, works of art,
porcelain, tapestries and carpets, including a private Long
Island collection, realized $14,274,333 and was 89 percent sold
by value and 72 percent sold by lot.
"This sale reiterates the strong demand for the best examples of
French furniture and reaffirms the robust state of the market,"
said William Strafford, specialist head of the European furniture
and decorative arts department in New York. "There was furious
bidding for supreme works of art, in particular, the Boulle
armoire and BVRB commode, the latter of which saw four active
bidders still participating at the $1.5 million mark. Christie's
holds nine out of the top ten highest prices of European
furniture sold at auction."
European furniture week at Christie's, featuring important
English furniture, including property from the collections of
Peter Glenville and Hardy William Smith, property from the
collection of Nelson Grimaldi Seabra and important European
furniture, works of art, porcelain, tapestries and carpets,
including a private Long Island collection, totaled $20,773,543.
The top lot of the sale, a Louis XIV ormolu-mounted ebony,
cut-brass, tortoiseshell, blue-stained horn and pewter marquetry
armoire "De L'Histoire D'Apollon" by André-Charles Boulle, circa
1695-1700, sold for $4,599,500 in the salesroom.
This masterpiece is a tour de force that represents Boulle's
extraordinary ability to create sculptural gilt bronzes in an
overall scheme rich with superlative marquetry. The armoire's
classically inspired imagery, which centers on the sun-god Apollo
and figures emblematic of the seasons, glorifies Louis XIV, the
Sun King. Together with its pair, formerly in the collection of
Hubert de Givenchy, this armoire represents the original version
of the "Histoire D'Apollon" series.
A world auction record for a lacquer commode, the Louis XV
ormolu-mounted Chinese black, polychrome and gilt lacquer and
vernis commode, stamped five times Bernard II Van Risenburgh,
doubled its pre-sale estimate, selling for $3,031,500.
This masterwork is part of a celebrated group of lacquer-mounted
commodes by BVRB, the first of which was delivered to
Fontainebleau in 1738. The gilt-bronze mounts are of a superb
quality representative of BVRB's best work, and were most likely
actually cast by BVRB, a bold act against the Eighteenth Century
guild rules, which required a separate guild to supply mounts for
ébénisterie.
Record BVRB Louis XV commode, $3,031,500.
Two extremely rare tapestries were also offered. A Louis XIV
Beauvais chinoiserie tapestry of the "Audience of the Emperor,"'
from the "Histoire du Roi de Chine" series, by Philip Behagle, sold
for $455,500, and the Princesse de Conti "'Mois Grotesques"
tapestry, circa 1710, realized $399,500.
Additional highlights included a Louis XV ormolu cartel clock,
circa 1760, which fetched $354,700, and from a private Long
Island collection, which was 91 percent sold by value, a Louis
XVI ormolu-mounted mahogany, ebony and black and gilt Chinese
lacquer-inset commode à l'Anglaise, circa 1775, which
realized $231,500.
The October 23 sale of the collection of Nelson Grimaldi Seabra,
the Brazilian socialite, was 86 percent sold by value, and was a
tribute to this collector's discerning and far-reaching taste, as
shown by pieces such as a pair of George II walnut library
armchairs ($253,900); a rare pair of Chinese carved lacquer vases
($59,750); and a set of four Louis XVI ormolu candlesticks
($74,090).
