A DISTINGUISHED NEW YORK COLLECTION OF RUSSIAN AND NEO-CLASSICAL FURNITURE By Antoine Chenevière In this exquisite collection the Russian and other neo-classical furniture was chosen to complement the existing collection of post-war European and American art and was thoughtfully combined in an elegant Manhattan apartment with breathtaking views over Central Park. Russian furniture of this period was inspired by neo-classicism and is characterised by its graceful lines and its exploration of new forms, methods and design solutions. It reflects the austere monumentality of Russian architecture and simultaneously illustrates the intimacy and comfort of the wealthy household around 1800. Typical of this furniture is the clarity of its form and ornament and the geometric shapes, which are mirrored in the post-war art, illustrating the collector's taste for juxtaposing them to create harmonious and inspiring groups of art of different styles and periods. A striving for the essence, the purism and the classic simplicity shown by this furniture shares a common spirit with the post-war art on display. Prominent examples are a pair of elegant brass-inlaid console tables with subtly incurved tapered legs which are linked by star-shaped stretchers centered by a simple square, which are displayed below a still-life by Lichtenstein and a nude by Tom Wesselmann. A pair of side chairs with solid curved backs, a great example of classic simplicity, are placed in front of a work by Frank Stella with angular lines and a metallic surface. A circular table with austere geometric inlay contrasts with a calligraphic work by Twombly and Warhol screen prints. It is noticeable that owing to its quality of design, Russian furniture of circa 1800, which would not look out of place in a grand period setting, is equally at home in a modern interior and with avant garde art created more than a century and a half later. Antoine Chenevière is a noted authority on Russian furniture and a specialist dealer in the field. He is the author of the groundbreaking work on the subject, 'Russian Furniture the Golden Age 1780-1840', first published in 1988.

A PAIR OF FRENCH ORMOLU AND MOLDED GLASS LAMPS

SIGNED 'BACCARAT', 20TH CENTURY

细节

A PAIR OF FRENCH ORMOLU AND MOLDED GLASS LAMPS
SIGNED 'BACCARAT', 20TH CENTURY
Each with a spirally gadrooned reservoir above a stepped neck and a spirally gadrooned shaft on a square base with conforming decoration and on paw feet, the underside of the metal base stamped 'BACCARAT' above a decanter and two glasses, the feet variously stamped '696'
23 in. (59 cm.) high, excluding fitments (2)