Ref.9386
Four busts of Kings of France, former Beistegui collection

These four Neo-Renaissance style plaster busts represent Kings of France. They are copies of originals from the Renaissance and the 17th century that are in the Louvre. The first bust, copy of a bronze original, represents Louis XIII. For a long time, this sculpture was attributed to Jean Warin in the museum inventories but today specialists believe it is the work of Francesco Bordoni because it was found in the collection of his son Pierre Bordoni at his death. The three other busts are copies of works in alabaster and marble from the studio of the famous sculptor Germain Pilon (1535-1590). They are portraits of Henri II, Charles IX and Henri III. The four kings are wearing coronation clothes, each wearing the chain of the order of Saint Michael around their neck.

Ref.10769
Beautiful antique Neo-Gothic style spherical chandelier in stained glass, late 19th century

Rare spherical chandelier made with the technique of stained glass in the late 19th century. Neo-Gothic style, this chandelier is decorated with colored glass cabochons and profiles of men and women made of out glass in the manner of cameos. Bronze frame with brown patina.

Ref.11547
A large Louis XV style bench made out of gilded wood

This beautiful bench was made out of gilded wood during the 19th century. Its ornamentation is characteristic of Louis XV style with highly decorative curves and counter-curves, stylised shells, vegetal rinceaux and Acanthus leaves forming scrolls. Modern seat padding.

Ref.11266
André-Fernand THESMAR (1843-1912) and Ferdinand BARBEDIENNE (1810-1892) - Ornamental japanese style plate

Plate in gilded bronze and cloisonné enamel decorated with cockatoo on a blue background. Following the example of the enamel workshops of the factory of Sevres, Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810 - 1892) introduced enamel in its making of art works: “byzantine” champlevé enamels from the end of the 1850s, then neo-Renaissance painted enamels and cloissone enamels with Far-Eastern influence. No other company managed to integrate with such success the use of enamel in an industrial production. After some attempts with independent enamelers, , Barbedienne ensured the exclusive collaboration of remarkable practitioners: Alfred Serre for the painted enamel (before 1872) and Fernand Thesmar for clossoine enamel (after 1872). This plate is a beautiful example of the important production that Barbedienne developed in the years 1870 - 1880, at a time when luxury enamel on precious metals was experience a real craze. The motifs of flowers, birds and insects is again found in a series of similar pieces, combining classic shapes and designs of oriental taste, including a glass kept at the Orsay Museum in Paris and another kept at the Walters Art Gallery, in Baltimore. Andre-Fernand Thesmar, born March 4 1843 in Chalon-sur-Saone, first devoted himself to oil painting and was known as a painter of flowers. He was educated in drawing in a factory for printed-fabric in Mulhouse where he had been placed at fourteen years old to learn the trade of a draftsman. His teacher was a painter of flowers: he “drew and dissected the plant with fury, requiring an anatomical analysis of shapes and a meticulous copy of nature.” He left this industrial environment to go to Paris in 1860 and engaged in various activities (workshop of industrial drawing and studio decoration for Cambon’s theater.) It was probably for his talent as a painter that Thesmar was noticed in 1872 by Ferdinand Barbedienne. With Barbedienne, later Thesmar succeeded to the management of the production of enamels. The productions of Thesmar and Barbedienne reflected the interest that they had for the decorative techniques and compositions of Japanese enamel. It was as “co-operator of the Barbedienne company” that Thesmar exhibited at the Exhibition of Decorative Arts in 1874, A cock pheasant from China and Floral Bouquets from greenhouse where they admired his talent as a painter of flowers. At the exposition in 1875, Thesmar exhibited two large enamel compositions on leather, one of which displayed a wader with water lilies and bright yellow iris, completely in the style of our plate and showing the style of the return to nature. In 1891, Thesmar turned to the decoration of porcelain and introduced himself to Charles Lauth who, since 1879, led the Factory de Sèvres. Its at this time that the collaboration with the Barbedienne company ended. Afterwards, he would be especially known for having invented the “plique à jour” technique, which numerous pieces of are kept in public collections.

Ref.11360
Gabriel VIARDOT (attributed to) - Asymmetrical cabinet with rich engraved and sculpted decoration of extreme oriental inspiration

The realization of this cabinet is attributed to Gabriel Viardot, famous parisian cabinetmaker, specialized in chinese and japanese style furniture in the second half of the 19th century. Opens on the left side to a small door and a drawer with a gilded bronze grip on which a shelf with an openwork decoration of interlacing is supported. The door leaf is decorated with a large vase decorated with mother-of-pearl and bone inlay and adorned with carved flowers. On the right side a large door with a mirror and a richly carved pediment.

Ref.11670
Important Napoleon III antique console in Aleppo breach marble

Important and rare Napoleon III antique console made out of Aleppo breach marble during the 19th century. A double curved jambs carved with rosettes medallion and paneling. Large dimensions of the top, about 2 meters long.

Ref.11336
Gabriel VIARDOT (1830-1906) - A small Japanese style secretary

Carved and openwork wooden secretary, decorated with mother-of-pearl inlays. Bronze ornaments. Opening with a door, a drawer on the front and a writing flap opening two drawers. Lion claw feet. Stamped "G Viardot " on one of the feet.

Ref.12698
Roy ADZAK (1927 - 1987) (in the taste of), Set of four bronze sconces representing a female face, late 20th century

Set of four bronze wall sconces made at the end of the 20th century, in the taste of Roy Adzak, British painter and sculptor. These four sculpted wall lights represent a female face

Ref.14516
Pair of decorative canvases on the theme of music in the 18th century taste

Pair of important canvases with a gold background and decorative motifs on the theme of love and music. The ornamental repertoire borrows various images and symbols from 18th century art. This pair of decorative canvases was probably part of a larger set.

Ref.15047
Armand POINT, Preparatory drawing for the painting Young Woman with the Green Toque, 1905

This portrait of a woman in red chalk was executed by Armand Point in 1905. A lover of Italy from 1893 onwards, Armand Point (1861-1932) was notably influenced by the Florentine Primitives and the masters of the Italian Renaissance. This work is a testament to that influence. It is the preparatory drawing for one of his paintings, Young Woman with the Green Toque. The model is the artist’s second wife, Helga Weeke, with whom he traveled to Venice for the second time in 1905. In the background, one can distinguish a campanile, perhaps that of the Basilica Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, and the silhouette of a Venetian palace with precisely described architecture, behind the canal where a canoe is navigating. On the right, a garden adorned with a fountain. The softness of the woman’s features and the serenity of her expression echo another red chalk drawing of Helga, characterized by its pronounced sensuality.

Ref.10917
Édouard LIÈVRE (Author of the model, 1829 – 1886), Paul SORMANI (cabinetmaker, 1817 – 1874 or 1875) Neo-Renaissance ceremonial sideboard and buffet

This exceptional set of neo-Renaissance furniture designed by Édouard Lièvre was crafted by Paul Sormani, a renowned Italian cabinetmaker based in Paris. Enhanced with gilded bronze, marble inserts, and enamel plaques, this ceremonial sideboard and buffet are extremely refined and erudite. The pieces are signed with the initials “EL” and bear the Sormani workshop plaque. After the cabinetmaker's death, the company took the name “Veuve Sormani et Fils,” whose furniture bears the signature from 1877-1880 onwards. Signed “Paul Sormani,” our set would therefore predate 1877. The sideboard rests on two fluted Corinthian columns with rings. A series of drawers frames a sea green marble top. The imposing top is made of marble and the molded backrest features gilded bronze inserts. The popularity of troubadour painting and romantic subjects certainly explains the choice of characters for the gilt bronze medallions depicting the profiles of Charles VII and his mistress Agnès Sorel. The medallions are framed by bronze appliqués decorated with candelabra scrollwork. In the center of the composition, a diamond shape displays its gilt bronze scrollwork. The ceremonial sideboard is also richly decorated and full of references to Renaissance art. The lower section is organized around three central semicircular niches composed of rare bulging columns; the spandrels are decorated with sea green marble inserts. The doors feature two superb gilt bronze medallions depicting the profiles of Henry IV and his mistress Gabrielle d'Estrée: the Renaissance period and the theme of passionate love are once again mythologized and elevated to romantic ideals. The pilasters feature marble diamond motifs, typical of 16th-century ornamentation. Édouard Lièvre combines different artistic media by inserting decorative enameled plaques into the upper register doors. These are directly inspired by the bas-reliefs of the Fontaine des Innocents created in 1548 by Jean Goujon, a famous sculptor at the court of Henry II. They are flanked by gilded bronze appliqués in the Renaissance style (festoons, mascaron, foliage, volutes). The upper register is organized around two semicircular niches composed of fluted and ringed Corinthian columns. The projections of the cornice feature a frieze of Greek waves and sea green marble plaques. The ensemble is crowned with coats of arms supported by gilded bronze acanthus leaves. The sideboard and its buffet are fine examples of Édouard Lièvre's talent for reinterpreting antique styles using modern techniques (electroplating) and his collaborations with the greatest cabinetmakers of the period. As well as reflecting the popularity of the Neo-Renaissance style in France during the 19th century, this set once again demonstrates the archaeological interest and immense erudition of its designer, who found inspiration in the streets of Paris and the capital's museums. In a similar style, Lièvre created a mirror for Sarah Bernhardt around 1875 and several Neo-Renaissance cabinets, some of which are decorated with decorative enamel plaques. In addition, the catalog of the dispersal of Édouard Lièvre's estate (Drouot sale, March 21-24, 1887) lists nearly fifteen Neo-Renaissance pieces of furniture.

Ref.15763
Portrait of a Young Woman by Leopold Franz Kowalski

Léopold-Franz Kowalsky (1856–1931) was a French painter famous for his portraits of young women and pastoral scenes. A student of Henri Lehmann, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1878 and then took classes at the Académie Julian. He made his debut at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1881 and exhibited there until 1914. This portrait of an elegant young woman is striking for its immediacy and frontal perspective. The low wall on which she is leaning and the vegetal background reinforce the model's physical presence. With her body in three-quarter view and her face facing forward, she is posing for the artist but seems ready to get up; her chin is barely resting in her right hand and her left hand is placed on her hip, indicating that she has only just settled down. The treatment of the folds in the sleeve accentuates the presence and materiality of the fabric. With her red hair adorned with a floral headband, the model's features and pale skin are reminiscent of the figures dear to the Pre-Raphaelite painters. Our painting is in excellent condition. The model, whose identity is unknown, is similar to The Badminton Player (Bonhams Skinner Marlborough sale, November 2, 2023, lot 96). Signed lower right: “L. Kowalsky.”