Tennants Auctioneers
Lot 1054
An Italian Scagliola Table, by the Della Valle Brothers, 2nd quarter 19th century, the circular top painted with a scene of St Peter's Basilica in a circular panel and eight canted rectangular panels with Italian scenes and blue classical scrolling foliage, on a knopped stem, moulded base and later triangular platform with block feet, 103cm diameter The celebrated Livorno Workshop of Pietro and Giuseppe Della Valle was active during the first half of the 19th century. Pietro Della Valle was recorded by Volpi in his guide to the city and surroundings of Livorno in 1846, and was noted as being one of the most significant Livornin artists for his abilities and individual style of scagliola craftsmanship. The last record of Della Valle Brothers dates to 1865 when the workshop sent a table to the Exhibition of Florence in 1873. It seems that the Della Valle Workshop was no longer active. Scagliola is sometimes referred to by scholars as the cheapest alterative to pietra dura. However, the finest scagliola works of the 18th century exceeded pietra dura both in artistic composition and variety of colours achieved. Scagliola, a composite material akin to plaster, is made from selenite, the purest of form of gypsum. This is calcified, reduced to fine powder mixed into a paste and rolled out into a slab. It is incised with channels for the decoration which are filled with colours and eventually polished. See Cook (J) Masters of the Art of Scagliola, Country Life, 29th September 1994 Large circular panel signed in the bottom left corner. Base with thumb sized chunk missing from the top. Chip to moulded base. Triangular base section and feet later? table top with various chips and nibbles around edge. Various scratches to paintwork, particularly central landscape panel. Socle to underside with various repairs. 230115
