拍品专文
The 9th Earl succeeded his father in 1754. He made many contributions to the fabric and to the collections of Burghley. He commissioned Capability Brown to make improvements to the park and house and ordered, not only great quantities of silver, but also the finest furniture from Ince and Mayhew, and Newton and Fell. He completed work on the range of rooms started by the 5th Earl which had lain unfinished since the 5th Earl's death in 1700. The 9th Earl bought pictures and works of art in Italy and commissioned paintings from the leading artists of the day such as Angelica Kauffman R.A. Perhaps a slighly more unusual side to the man is noted by Lady Victoria Leatham in Burghley, The Life of a Great House, London, 1992, p. 94 where she records his insistance that his coffin should not be nailed down until his body showed 'signs of mortification' due to his fear of being buried alive.
The design for this magnificent epergne or centrepiece with its elegant serpentined plateau is in the Louis XV 'picturesque' manner, which was celebrated by William Hogarth, the artist, silver-engraver and founder of the St. Martin's Lane Academy, in his Analysis of Beauty, published in 1753. The ornament is inspired by the writings of Virgil. It celebrates Venus' triumph with with the union of Bacchus and Ceres. The presence of fruit and flowers symbolises Peace and Plenty. The arcadian composition of the decoration, with the fusion of Elements, Earth and Water, recall the architectural buffet compositions published by Jacque de la Joue (d.1761), Louis XV's Peintre Ordinaire in his Livre de Buffets, 1735.
The central basket is formed as a fusion of an antique wine-krater vase and the ancient nef-de-table. The frame of the epergne is conceived as a baldechino, with fruit and scroll festooned arched supports with vine leaf dishes supported by scrolled tendrils. It rests on the plateau or 'table' which is similarly applied with a fruiting vine tendrils which run across the domed 'waterery' surface. On the surface areas of bare earth are symbolised by the matted, stippled 'islands' on which bunches of grapes and fruit lie. Ripples of water run down from the sides to the centre and the openwork 'whorled' border display Bacchic goats emerging onto scalework cartouches.
The abundant fruit ornament of this centrpiece, conceived for the display of fruit and flowers, is derived from Louis Quatorze surtout-de-tables. The evolution of this form can be traced through ornamental engravings and architectural publications and books on the confectioner's art; and in particular that of Le Sieur Guilleurs, La Carameliste Française, 1684 which was re-issued in 1750. The design of the centrepiece is indebted, in part, to the centrepiece conceived in the 1740's for Frederick, Prince of Wales (d.1758) and published in John Vardy's Some Designs of Mr. Inigo Jones and Mr. William Kent, 1744. However its picturesque style corresponds to that of the surtout-de-table conceived for the Duke of Kingston by Juste-Auriel Meissonier (d.1750) and published in his Oeuvres, 1750 and issued by Huquier (see P. Brown, Pleasures of the Table; Ritual and Display in the European Dining Room 1600-1900, New York, 1997. An almost identical epergne dating from circa 1750, engraved with the badge of the Prince of Wales, (illustrated in C. Clayton, The Collector's Dictionary of Silver and Gold, London, 1971, fig. 263), also by Wakelin, may have been the prototype for the present example made for the Earl of Exeter. The boat-shaped basket with foliage frame can be seen on an epergne by William Cripps, 1754, sold Christie's, 13 July 1994, lot 122. It is more restrained in design with sweetmeat dishes conforming to the fluted circular dishes seen on earlier epergnes. The development of the designs seen in the present epergne were taken further by Wakelin as demonstrated in a centrepiece made by John Parker and Edward Wakelin, circa 1760, sold Christie's 14 July 1965, lot 145. The demi-goats are in full relief as they emerge from border of the plateau and the fruit which lie on the domed 'watery' surface are fully formed in three dimensions. The sweetmeat dishes are no longer part of the baldechino frame but small oak trees growing from the surface of the plateau with the dishes fashioned from the leaves. This epergne and the related examples are the purest distillation of the Rococo style, the zenith of epergne design before the revolution of neo-classicism.
This masterpiece of the rococo formed part of an immense commission. The Earl of Exeter is recorded as haveing ordered over 5,000 ounces of silver and silver-gilt from Wickes and Netherton in the mid 1750's. Some remains at Burghley. A set of six sugar vases, also now gilded, with domed covers and strawberry finials, which are en-suite with the epergne and plateau are illustrated in, Burghley House, Silver Exhibition, exhibition catalogue, 1984, no. 65.
George Wickes and Samuel Netherton were among the leading goldsmiths and retailers of the 18th century. Wickes entered his first mark in 1721. In 1735 he moved to Panton Street where he traded independendtly, having before been in partnership with John Craig. It was here as goldsmith to Frederick, Prince of Wales, that his business flourished. Samuel Netherton joined him as an apprentice in 1737. Edward Wakelin, who had been apprenticed to John le Sage was working for Wickes by this date. Wakelin organised a workshop of some eight to thirteen men and was in many ways an independent agent marking pieces with his own mark as seen here. Samuel Netherton became Wickes' partner in 1750 and it was not until both Wickes and Netherton retired in 1760 that Wakelin became a partner with Netherton's cousin, Wickes' last apprentice, John Parker. They contiued the bussines with great success, with over 270 clients. When Parker and Wakelin retired in 1776 they passed the business on to Wakelin's son John and William Taylor who had been with the company since 1769. On Taylor's death in 1792 John Wakelin took on Robert Garrard as a partner and when John Wakelin himself died in 1802 the firm became under sole control of Garrard, whose name the company bears to this day. (for further details see E. Barr, George Wickes, Royal Goldsmith 1698-1761, New York, 1980)
Captions
Extract from George Wickes and Samuel Netherton's Gentleman's Ledger, Courtesy of Garrard, The Crown Jewellers
Brownlow, 9th Earl of Exeter (1725-1793), by Angelica Kauffman R.A. (1741-1807)
The crest of Brownlow, 9th Earl of Exeter, engraved on the central basket
The design for this magnificent epergne or centrepiece with its elegant serpentined plateau is in the Louis XV 'picturesque' manner, which was celebrated by William Hogarth, the artist, silver-engraver and founder of the St. Martin's Lane Academy, in his Analysis of Beauty, published in 1753. The ornament is inspired by the writings of Virgil. It celebrates Venus' triumph with with the union of Bacchus and Ceres. The presence of fruit and flowers symbolises Peace and Plenty. The arcadian composition of the decoration, with the fusion of Elements, Earth and Water, recall the architectural buffet compositions published by Jacque de la Joue (d.1761), Louis XV's Peintre Ordinaire in his Livre de Buffets, 1735.
The central basket is formed as a fusion of an antique wine-krater vase and the ancient nef-de-table. The frame of the epergne is conceived as a baldechino, with fruit and scroll festooned arched supports with vine leaf dishes supported by scrolled tendrils. It rests on the plateau or 'table' which is similarly applied with a fruiting vine tendrils which run across the domed 'waterery' surface. On the surface areas of bare earth are symbolised by the matted, stippled 'islands' on which bunches of grapes and fruit lie. Ripples of water run down from the sides to the centre and the openwork 'whorled' border display Bacchic goats emerging onto scalework cartouches.
The abundant fruit ornament of this centrpiece, conceived for the display of fruit and flowers, is derived from Louis Quatorze surtout-de-tables. The evolution of this form can be traced through ornamental engravings and architectural publications and books on the confectioner's art; and in particular that of Le Sieur Guilleurs, La Carameliste Française, 1684 which was re-issued in 1750. The design of the centrepiece is indebted, in part, to the centrepiece conceived in the 1740's for Frederick, Prince of Wales (d.1758) and published in John Vardy's Some Designs of Mr. Inigo Jones and Mr. William Kent, 1744. However its picturesque style corresponds to that of the surtout-de-table conceived for the Duke of Kingston by Juste-Auriel Meissonier (d.1750) and published in his Oeuvres, 1750 and issued by Huquier (see P. Brown, Pleasures of the Table; Ritual and Display in the European Dining Room 1600-1900, New York, 1997. An almost identical epergne dating from circa 1750, engraved with the badge of the Prince of Wales, (illustrated in C. Clayton, The Collector's Dictionary of Silver and Gold, London, 1971, fig. 263), also by Wakelin, may have been the prototype for the present example made for the Earl of Exeter. The boat-shaped basket with foliage frame can be seen on an epergne by William Cripps, 1754, sold Christie's, 13 July 1994, lot 122. It is more restrained in design with sweetmeat dishes conforming to the fluted circular dishes seen on earlier epergnes. The development of the designs seen in the present epergne were taken further by Wakelin as demonstrated in a centrepiece made by John Parker and Edward Wakelin, circa 1760, sold Christie's 14 July 1965, lot 145. The demi-goats are in full relief as they emerge from border of the plateau and the fruit which lie on the domed 'watery' surface are fully formed in three dimensions. The sweetmeat dishes are no longer part of the baldechino frame but small oak trees growing from the surface of the plateau with the dishes fashioned from the leaves. This epergne and the related examples are the purest distillation of the Rococo style, the zenith of epergne design before the revolution of neo-classicism.
This masterpiece of the rococo formed part of an immense commission. The Earl of Exeter is recorded as haveing ordered over 5,000 ounces of silver and silver-gilt from Wickes and Netherton in the mid 1750's. Some remains at Burghley. A set of six sugar vases, also now gilded, with domed covers and strawberry finials, which are en-suite with the epergne and plateau are illustrated in, Burghley House, Silver Exhibition, exhibition catalogue, 1984, no. 65.
George Wickes and Samuel Netherton were among the leading goldsmiths and retailers of the 18th century. Wickes entered his first mark in 1721. In 1735 he moved to Panton Street where he traded independendtly, having before been in partnership with John Craig. It was here as goldsmith to Frederick, Prince of Wales, that his business flourished. Samuel Netherton joined him as an apprentice in 1737. Edward Wakelin, who had been apprenticed to John le Sage was working for Wickes by this date. Wakelin organised a workshop of some eight to thirteen men and was in many ways an independent agent marking pieces with his own mark as seen here. Samuel Netherton became Wickes' partner in 1750 and it was not until both Wickes and Netherton retired in 1760 that Wakelin became a partner with Netherton's cousin, Wickes' last apprentice, John Parker. They contiued the bussines with great success, with over 270 clients. When Parker and Wakelin retired in 1776 they passed the business on to Wakelin's son John and William Taylor who had been with the company since 1769. On Taylor's death in 1792 John Wakelin took on Robert Garrard as a partner and when John Wakelin himself died in 1802 the firm became under sole control of Garrard, whose name the company bears to this day. (for further details see E. Barr, George Wickes, Royal Goldsmith 1698-1761, New York, 1980)
Captions
Extract from George Wickes and Samuel Netherton's Gentleman's Ledger, Courtesy of Garrard, The Crown Jewellers
Brownlow, 9th Earl of Exeter (1725-1793), by Angelica Kauffman R.A. (1741-1807)
The crest of Brownlow, 9th Earl of Exeter, engraved on the central basket