A mahogany sofa, France or North Italy, last quarter 18th century

François-Schwartz-Molitor, Arlon, Belgium (according to the label on the sofa)

This spectacular sofa is quite unusual, not only because of its shape but also because of its boldly carving from beautiful solid mahogany. It is possible to compare it to the famous ‘bergère au débotté’ chair, most likely delivered to the Duke of Penthièvre at the Château d'Anet (Collection Dalva Brothers, Christie's, New York, 22 October 2020, lot 127), now owned by the Etrillard Foundation. The antique ornamental repertoire with this mask, the friezes and tapered uprights embodies two powerful stylistic movements: the Greek taste with a revival of the antique forms of classical Greece and Rome, and the English taste embodied by the use of mahogany and clean lines.

At the end of the 18th century, French decorative arts also exerted a major influence in Turin and Milan, driven by France’s cultural prestige and by close political, diplomatic, and dynastic ties. French was then the language of the court and the aristocracy, and Parisian models were established as benchmarks of good taste. A sofa attributed to Giuseppe Levati, with a structure very similar to ours, is illustrated in A. Gonzalez-Palacios, Il Tempio del gusto. Le arti decorative in Italia fra classicismi e barocco. Il Granducato di Toscana e gli Stati Settentrionali, vol. 1, pl. XLII. Although it is made of gilded and painted wood and features different decorative motifs, there is clearly a correlation between the two models, reflecting the intense exchange between Italy and France at the turn of the 19th century.

The mahogany is carved in a rather bold manner, the mouldings are thick, and its design and construction blur the traditional boundaries between cabinetmaking and carpentry, making one more inclined to imagine that it was made by a cabinetmaker. However, it is not surprising to find it in the gallery of Jean-Marie Rossi, who purchased the magnificent mahogany armchairs (lots 501 and 502) from the former Delbée-Jansen collection sold at Christie's, Monaco, 10 and 11 December 1999.