Michael Lake
Head of Department
Lot 17
A 19th century Limoges enamel charger decorated with a scene of Artemis and Apollo killing the children of Niobe, probably Samson in the manner of an original by the workshop of Pierre Reymond, the design after Philippe Galle
18 December 2020, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £3,825 inc. premium
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A 19th century Limoges enamel charger decorated with a scene of Artemis and Apollo killing the children of Niobe, probably Samson in the manner of an original by the workshop of Pierre Reymond, the design after Philippe Galle
the vengeful god and goddess borne aloft by a cloud, smiting the figures below as they cower in fear, Apollo with his bow and arrow and Artemis with her spear, set against a verdant landscape with a city beyond, possibly the city of Tantalus located at the foot of Mount Sipylus, visible in the background, the reverse showing a Romanesque profile in the centre with a putto below wearing the diadem of Artemis, 39cm diameter
Footnotes
Provenance
Property of a private Italian lady collector
Limoges in the south west region of France, has been world-famous for producing enamels for centuries. Originating in the 12th century, the industry of decorating metal objects, usually in bronze and brass (and mostly made for ecclesiastical purposes) in champlevé coloured enamels, thrived until circa 1370 when a swift decline meant that these precious manufacturing skills were almost lost. However, in the late 15th century the production of enamel returned to the region but with a move to producing more secular objects. With this revival came new techniques including painting the decoration directly onto the enamel rather than gouging out designs then flooding them with enamel. Several notable French workshops emerged with their own distinctive styles who would, in some cases, also sign or punch mark their work. Usually depicting mythological or religious narratives, these wares, often plates, chargers or plaques, became highly prized objects.
The workshop of Pierre Reymond (c.1513 -after 1584) produced exceptional pieces throughout the 16th century. There is evidence to suggest that Reymond was both the owner of his large workshop and an artist in his own right, practising for over four decades. Hence his works were an obvious source for the fine reproductions produced by Samson in the second half of the 19th century.
Literature
Suzanne. Higgot, with contributions from Isabell Biron, Susan La Neice, Juanita Navarro and Stefan Rohrs, The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Glass and Limoges Painted Enamels, The Trustees of the Wallace Collection, 2011.
We would like to thank Suzanne Higgot, curator of Glass, Limoges and painted enamels at The Wallace Collection, London for her kind and generous assistance in cataloguing this lot
