A Unique Late 18th Century English Collector’s Cabinet of Satinwood and Painted with Maritime Scenes on Copper Panels, one of Neapolitan Interest c.1790

Provenance

Peter Lipitch Ltd

Literature

Illustrated by Peter Lipitch in the 2009 Grosvenor House Antiques Fair handbook

This exceptional cabinet, clearly a bespoke commission, is virtually unparalleled amongst other surviving English pieces in terms of its inventive design. Clearly influenced by the Louis XVI taste in its broadly rectangular form, the piece is veneered in satinwood throughout and, again in a nod to the French taste of the period, has a marble top-a very rare feature on a piece of English furniture. Functionally this piece was designed as a combination secretaire and collector’s cabinet. The fall front is leather lined and functions as a writing surface and then inside the cabinet are seven finely made drawers, all with cedar linings. The use of cedar in this context strongly suggests that the drawers were originally intended to house specimens of natural history or shells, cedar being the common choice in this context because of its insect repellent properties.

The most important aspect of the cabinet, however, are the painted panels to the front and both sides, surrounded by applied giltwood pearl mouldings. These panels, all painted on copper, are all of maritime interest, the smaller ones to the sides showing fishermen in a small boat as well as warships on calm seas. The quality of the painting is quite superb in all cases and what is also particularly noteworthy are the lilac borders which are painted with arabesques in grisaille. These arabesques incorporate busts in profile, probably King George III and Queen Charlotte, as well as an intertwined dolphins and trident motif which has been adapted from the frieze of the Temple of Neptune in Rome. See the drawing of this motif by Charles Heathcote Tatham, preserved in his sketchbook in the V&A and illustrated in the article Tatham and Italy: Influences on English Neo-Classic Design by Tanya Buckrell Pos published in Furniture History Vol. 38 (2002). This motif is obviously a further nod towards a maritime theme and a suggestion that this extraordinary cabinet was supplied to a patron with links to the sea.

It is the large panel on the front of the piece which is of the most interest however and we are delighted to have been able to identify the source for this part of the decoration. The image is a view of the Bay of Naples with the ruined Tower of St Vincent taken from a Paul Sandby print after the drawing on the spot (and painting) by the Italian artist Pietro Fabris. The print was published in 1778. Interestingly this print was one of the views in King George III’s personal collection of such prints

http://george3.splrarebooks.com/collection/view/PART-OF-NAPLES-WITH-THE-RUIND-TOWER-OF-ST.-VINCENT-Vue-de-Naples-avec-les-d

As a close comparison of the print and the view on the cabinet makes clear, the artist working on our piece has adapted the print quite considerably, thereby creating an entirely new work of art. However there is no doubt that the Sandby print is the basis for this piece. We are grateful to Ms Ann Gunn, author of the catalogue raisonné of Sandby’s work for confirming this aspect of our research. Ms Gunn also pointed out another important detail. Fabris’ views, and the conforming Sandby prints, almost always feature Neapolitan peasants exclusively. The piece on our cabinet, however, has instead inserted a wealthy couple in very fine clothing in the foreground. It is tempting to conclude that these figures may well represent the original commissioners of this fine cabinet.

The logical conclusion of our research is that this truly unique piece of English cabinetwork was created for a wealthy English client with classical knowledge and with links to both the sea and British naval affairs and to Naples in particular. Famously Sir William Hamilton was British ambassador to Naples for a prolonged period and the great art collector and connoisseur Lord Bristol, owner of Ickworth House, also spent a prolonged period there. Intriguingly a letter from Sir William Hamilton, dated the 14^th of July 1797 and quoted in The Hamilton and Nelson Papers, Vol. I, published in 1893, makes reference to the ambassador acquiring a cabinet for Emma Hamilton. The letter states

‘I hope to bring a beautyfull (sic) cabinet to beautyfull Emma, almost as fair as her skin & as elegant as her form’

This reference is presumably to a satinwood piece (given the comment about the fairness of Emma’s skin) and there is perhaps just a chance that the cabinet could be our piece.

The specific maritime component of the piece suggests that perhaps a wealthy naval captain could have been the commissioner. During the Napoleonic Wars, many operations were undertaken in this area and so several British captains and other officers would have had the opportunity to be enchanted by the area to the extent that they wished to commemorate their time there in cabinet form. Unfortunately the original owner of the piece remains elusive at this stage but what is certain is that they would have had to have been extremely wealthy to have afforded a piece of this quality and, perhaps more importantly, also a person of considerable taste and learning in order to have appreciated a piece that is a combination of the academic and the decorative. A most interesting piece of furniture that would enhance even the grandest of collections.

We are very grateful to Ms Ann Gunn for her help with the printed source for the central panel on this cabinet.