| |
An extremely rare Empire rouge griotte marble chimney-piece with wonderful gilt bronze mounts attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire, the rectangular marble top above a frieze centred by a gilt mounted Medusa mask flanked by rosettes and palmettes and paterae above squared pilaster sides headed by angular capital mounts with stylised acanthus and anthemion motifs above an applied flaming torch mount
Paris, date circa 1810
Height 108, width 173 cm, depth 35 cm.
Provenance: Baron François-Alexandre Seillière, his Hôtel, 54 rue de Provence, Paris and then Château de Mello, Oise.
This wonderful chimney-piece was commissioned circa 1810 along with a matching mahogany console for baron François-Alexandre Seillière (1782-1850/6) for the grande chambre at his mansion at 54 rue de Provence, Paris. It was later removed to his other residence at Chateaux de Mello near Chantilly in the Oise, where it provided a focal point within the grande chambre Empire. The companion commode was sold in New York 1996 while the chimney-piece remained in situ up until last year.
The chimney-piece and matching mahogany console with similar rouge griotte top and of similar dimensions (96 x 175 x 42.5 cm) featured identical gilt bronze mounts, which can be attributed to the pre-eminent bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843). Almost identical angular capital mounts were used on a mahogany console supplied by Thomire 1811-12 for Château de Versailles (illus. Denise Ledoux-Lebard, “Le Mobilier Français du XIXe Siècle”, 2000, p. 602). In addition similar gilt mounted torches featured on Empire consoles and commodes produced by Jacob Frères and Jacob Desmalter et Cie, for whom Thomire frequently provided bronze mounts (compare for example Ledoux-Lebard, ibid. pp. 302 and 317). The pendant console was recorded as bearing a label, translated as “Console Empire. Provenance Baron François-Alexandre Seillière (…). In the grande chambre Empire of the Château de Mello there is a red marble and bronze chimney, the aforementioned chimney is almost identical to the present console; both came from the home of Baron François-Alexandre Seillière, rue de Provence”.
Seillière was knighted a hereditary baron in 1843 and with the title presumably inherited the Château de Mello and surrounding lands. By then he had already established himself as a highly successful businessman and had acquired a grand mansion at 54 rue de Provence. His Parisian residence also included a smaller adjacent house, he also owned other properties extending to rue de Chantereine. At some stage, possibly in 1843 he moved this chimney-piece to Château de Mello - an imposing medieval castle with dramatic towers and turrets standing high on a hill overlooking the small town of Mello. The château was begun in the twelfth century, rebuilt in 1480 and 1770 and restored in the nineteenth century and through the various generations was home to a magnificent art collection.
A man of immense wealth, François-Alexandre Seillière was born in Nancy, the son of baron Florentin Seillier, known as Seillière and Jeanne Françoise Chevalier. In 1805 he married Sophie Camille Gibert by whom he had at least six children. He was a member of the general council of manufactures and was head of his own private bank. During a successful career he financed several enterprises including the acquisition and subsequent expansion of the Creusot iron and steel works run by the brothers Eugène and Adolphe Error! Not a valid link.. He also chartered a fleet of sailing boats to serve in an expedition to Algiers in 1830. Seillière was admired as a philanthropist and for his generosity toward the community at Mello, where he served as mayor from 1826 until 1831 and where he eventually died in 1850/6.
|
|
/images/left.gif){kind=small}
