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Carved Wall Decorations

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Technique: Carved
Antique Statuario Marble Wall Relief of Euterpe, Circa 1920, Europe
Antique Statuario Marble Wall Relief of Euterpe, Circa 1920, Europe

Antique Statuario Marble Wall Relief of Euterpe, Circa 1920, Europe

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

An antique elongated wall relief in white Statuario marble featuring Euterpe the Greek Goddess of muse of lyric poetry, in good condition. Minor fading, scratches due to age. Wear co...

Category

Early 20th Century European Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Statuary Marble

Antique Hand Painted Advertising Poster for a Hemoglobin Fabrication in Munich
Antique Hand Painted Advertising Poster for a Hemoglobin Fabrication in Munich

Antique Hand Painted Advertising Poster for a Hemoglobin Fabrication in Munich

Located in Berghuelen, DE

Antique Handpainted Advertising Poster for a Hemoglobin Fabrication in Munich A large antique handpainted advertising poster for a hemoglobin fabrication in the 19th century in Muni...

Category

1890s German Black Forest Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Antique Jacobean Style Decorative Oak Wall Panel
Antique Jacobean Style Decorative Oak Wall Panel

Antique Jacobean Style Decorative Oak Wall Panel

Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire

A large and impressive late 19th century Jacobean style decorative oak wall hanging panel, handcarved with three ornate arches, neoclassical columns, dentils and geometric patterns throughout. Formerly a fireplace overmantel...

Category

Late 19th Century English Jacobean Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Oak

18th Century Italian Gilt Tabernacle Door with Turquoise Baroque Pearls
18th Century Italian Gilt Tabernacle Door with Turquoise Baroque Pearls

18th Century Italian Gilt Tabernacle Door with Turquoise Baroque Pearls

By Interi

Located in Columbia, SC

18th century Italian gold gilded tabernacle door adorned with naturally forming baroque pearls. This door once belonged on a tabernacle which housed the eucharist in a church. In the...

Category

18th Century Italian Rococo Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Gold Leaf

Hunting Dog Head Black Forest Hand Carved Folk Art Wooden Trophy, 19th Century
Hunting Dog Head Black Forest Hand Carved Folk Art Wooden Trophy, 19th Century

Hunting Dog Head Black Forest Hand Carved Folk Art Wooden Trophy, 19th Century

Located in Nuernberg, DE

A great looking hand carved original wooden Folk Art Dog head with glass eyes, wall decoration. A great piece for a suitable ambiance in a trophy room or the office of a Hunter or Woodsman. More than likely one of the Folk Art items made between 1860 and the late 1890s. In remarkably good as found condition with only a few small paint lost on the trophy plaque. Found at an estate sale in Wels, Austria. We think this will be a nice addition to your Collection of Black Forest items...

Category

Late 19th Century Austrian Black Forest Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Japanese Horse Festival Black Lacquer Medallion with Tassels and Bells, Edo
Japanese Horse Festival Black Lacquer Medallion with Tassels and Bells, Edo

Japanese Horse Festival Black Lacquer Medallion with Tassels and Bells, Edo

Located in Point Richmond, CA

Japanese horse festival black lacquer medallion with tassels with bells, Edo period. When horses participate in festivals they are adorned with horse trappings and other decoratio...

Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Edo Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Leather, Wood

Pair of French Antique Hunt Trophy Paintings in Giltwood Frames, 19th Century
Pair of French Antique Hunt Trophy Paintings in Giltwood Frames, 19th Century

Pair of French Antique Hunt Trophy Paintings in Giltwood Frames, 19th Century

Located in Dallas, TX

More information coming soon… Set within giltwood frames, this pair of oval French paintings depicts two hunting trophies. Both displays of game are set within lush vegetation, inc...

Category

19th Century French Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Giltwood, Paint

A Pair of 19th Century Carved Giltwood Rococo Wall Brackets
A Pair of 19th Century Carved Giltwood Rococo Wall Brackets

A Pair of 19th Century Carved Giltwood Rococo Wall Brackets

Located in Reepham, GB

A Pair of 19th Century Carved Giltwood Rococo Wall Brackets. Both are decorated with an asymmetric pierced foliate design featuring richly carved rococo C scrolls interspersed with f...

Category

19th Century Rococo Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood

15th Century French Walnut Gothic Tracery Panels of Exceptional Rarity
15th Century French Walnut Gothic Tracery Panels of Exceptional Rarity

15th Century French Walnut Gothic Tracery Panels of Exceptional Rarity

Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire

A pair of 15th century French walnut gothic tracery panels of exceptional rarity. These rare French Walnut panels were handcrafted circa 1480–1490, featuring intricate carved gothic...

Category

15th Century and Earlier French Medieval Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Oak

Monumental Federal Eagle Themed Gilt Wall Bracket American Circa 1825
Monumental Federal Eagle Themed Gilt Wall Bracket American Circa 1825

Monumental Federal Eagle Themed Gilt Wall Bracket American Circa 1825

Located in Incline Village, NV

Top of the line carving to this highly detailed American eagle themed gold gilt Federal wall bracket; with acanthus leave side drops; a diamond shaped fretwork backdrop; the eagle re...

Category

1820s American Federal Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Giltwood

After Raffaello Sanzio 1483-1520 Raphael La Madonna Della Seggiola Oil on Canvas
After Raffaello Sanzio 1483-1520 Raphael La Madonna Della Seggiola Oil on Canvas

After Raffaello Sanzio 1483-1520 Raphael La Madonna Della Seggiola Oil on Canvas

A fine Italian 19th century oil painting on canvas "La Madonna della Seggiola" after Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino 1483-1520). The circular painted canvas depicting a seated Ma...

Category

Late 19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas, Giltwood

Contemporary Abstract Wall Sculpture in Resin and Stone – No. 24 by Marcela Cure
Contemporary Abstract Wall Sculpture in Resin and Stone – No. 24 by Marcela Cure

Contemporary Abstract Wall Sculpture in Resin and Stone – No. 24 by Marcela Cure

Located in Barranquilla, Atlántico

A female torso sculpture wall art piece that calls on references of Renaissance paintings and academic ceramic sculptures. This female body piece explores historic interpretations o...

Category

2010s Colombian Other Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Stone

Antique Italian Gilded Carved Panel
Antique Italian Gilded Carved Panel

Antique Italian Gilded Carved Panel

Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire

An antique Italian gilded carved panel from the late 19th to early 20th century. Dated to circa 1900, this ornately carved panel could be a wall hanging, pediment, overdoor or even ...

Category

Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Pine, Giltwood

Timeless Design Pair of Art Deco Style Alabaster Wall Sconces / Light Fixtures
Timeless Design Pair of Art Deco Style Alabaster Wall Sconces / Light Fixtures

Timeless Design Pair of Art Deco Style Alabaster Wall Sconces / Light Fixtures

Located in Lisse, NL

Handcrafted and very stylish pair of midcentury made alabaster 2-light (up & down) wall lights. If you are looking for a great shape and practical size pair of sconces to grace yo...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Alabaster, Aluminum

Giltwood Acanthus Leaf Wall Bracket
Giltwood Acanthus Leaf Wall Bracket

Giltwood Acanthus Leaf Wall Bracket

Located in New York, NY

Giltwood acanthus leaf wall bracket. Vintage gilt wood console of Corinthian form with projecting shelf for display. Italy, 20th century. Dimensions: shelf is 10” wide x 5” deep; 11" H

Category

20th Century Italian Neoclassical Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood

Collection of Worldwide Traveler's Hand Carved Folk Art Masks
Collection of Worldwide Traveler's Hand Carved Folk Art Masks

Collection of Worldwide Traveler's Hand Carved Folk Art Masks

Located in Atlanta, GA

Collection of worldwide traveler's hand carved folk art masks, circa 1940s - 1970s, possibly earlier. We purchased the estate of an Atlanta Coca Cola executive, who traveled the worl...

Category

1950s Balinese Folk Art Vintage Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Evelyn Ackerman 'Horsemen' Wood Carved Panel
Evelyn Ackerman 'Horsemen' Wood Carved Panel

Evelyn Ackerman 'Horsemen' Wood Carved Panel

By Evelyn Ackerman

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Wood carving by California artist, Evelyn Ackerman, c.1964, USA. This plaque features five mounted horsemen. Dimensions  39" width x 1" depth x 9.25" height. Condition Good vintage...

Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Pair of Late 17th Century Giltwood Spanish Altarpiece Elements
Pair of Late 17th Century Giltwood Spanish Altarpiece Elements

Pair of Late 17th Century Giltwood Spanish Altarpiece Elements

Located in Leesburg, VA

The present pair of late 17th century or early 18th century Spanish Baroque giltwood architectural elements may have once formed part of an altarpiece environment. Their decorative p...

Category

Late 17th Century Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood

19th Century Framed Italian Cameos
19th Century Framed Italian Cameos

19th Century Framed Italian Cameos

Located in Atlanta, GA

This exquisite 19th Century framed collection of Italian cameos is a true testament to fine craftsmanship and artistic heritage. Each cameo is intricate...

Category

19th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Stone

Early 20th Century Handcrafted Oak Wall Cabinet with Original Mirrored Doors
Early 20th Century Handcrafted Oak Wall Cabinet with Original Mirrored Doors

Early 20th Century Handcrafted Oak Wall Cabinet with Original Mirrored Doors

Located in Lisse, NL

This remarkable early 20th-century handcrafted wall cabinet is a beautiful example of traditional craftsmanship and timeless design. Made from solid oak with a rich, warm patina, thi...

Category

Early 20th Century Dutch Neoclassical Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Brass

Chinese Carved Wooden Gilted Panel Wall Decoration
Chinese Carved Wooden Gilted Panel Wall Decoration

Chinese Carved Wooden Gilted Panel Wall Decoration

Located in Vienna, AT

Relief made of carved and gilded wood, with applications in different materials. Some chip and repairs. Differences in shade. Wear due to age and use.

Category

1930s Chinese Vintage Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Softwood

Mid-Century Abstract Metal Brutalist Door Panel, Raw, Geometric, and Carved
Mid-Century Abstract Metal Brutalist Door Panel, Raw, Geometric, and Carved

Mid-Century Abstract Metal Brutalist Door Panel, Raw, Geometric, and Carved

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A large-scale vertical panel composed of stacked, interlocking rectangular and square forms with open geometric cutouts throughout. The surface carries dense hand-carved or cast reli...

Category

1960s German Brutalist Vintage Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Metal

Original Antique Deer Taxidermy 1912
Original Antique Deer Taxidermy 1912

Original Antique Deer Taxidermy 1912

By Black Forest

Located in Vienna, AT

Antique taxidermy from Manhartsbrunn, Austria. You're looking at an extremely rare example of original craftsmanship: A hunting trophy hand-carved and hand-painted from the early 20t...

Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Bone, Wood

Sylva Hook Set in Bronze, Made in UK by Sister - Functional & Sculptural
Sylva Hook Set in Bronze, Made in UK by Sister - Functional & Sculptural

Sylva Hook Set in Bronze, Made in UK by Sister - Functional & Sculptural

Located in London, GB

Inspired by abstract tree forms, the Sylva Hook is a functional sculptural piece cast in Bronze or Aluminium. Its name comes from Sylva, an Old English word from the Latin silva, mea...

Category

2010s British Art Deco Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Aluminum, Bronze

Antique Hand Carved Oak Panel, Sunflower and leaves, Probably French 18th C
Antique Hand Carved Oak Panel, Sunflower and leaves, Probably French 18th C

Antique Hand Carved Oak Panel, Sunflower and leaves, Probably French 18th C

Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire

This is a very impressive Antique hand carved oak panel showing a stylised Sun Flower and leaves . The hand carving is well done, depicting a large sun-flower, smaller bud above and...

Category

18th Century French Rustic Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Oak

Evelyn Ackerman Large Scale Wood Carved Panel for Era Industries
Evelyn Ackerman Large Scale Wood Carved Panel for Era Industries

Evelyn Ackerman Large Scale Wood Carved Panel for Era Industries

By Evelyn Ackerman

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Large scale wood carved panel by California artist, Evelyn Ackerman for  Era Industries c.1960s. This carving features various nature themes like the sun, trees, fish, birds and leav...

Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Luxury Wooden Dice Set with Malachite Inlay – Game Object by Marcela Cure
Luxury Wooden Dice Set with Malachite Inlay – Game Object by Marcela Cure

Luxury Wooden Dice Set with Malachite Inlay – Game Object by Marcela Cure

Located in Barranquilla, Atlántico

Our Two Dice Set features two 6cm wooden dice with delicate malachite inlays. Elevate your game nights with these stylish, handcrafted gems. Celebrating the exquisite art of woodwork...

Category

2010s Colombian Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Malachite

Antique Baroque Pinewood Wall Reliefs, 17th-18th Century
Antique Baroque Pinewood Wall Reliefs, 17th-18th Century

Antique Baroque Pinewood Wall Reliefs, 17th-18th Century

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

An antique pair of Portuguese Baroque hand carved Pinewood architectural wall reliefs with richly ornate detailed scrolls, Acanthus leaves and masks, in good condition. Original pain...

Category

Late 17th Century Portuguese Baroque Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Pine

Pair of Italian Florentine Neoclassical Giltwood Wall Brackets Shelves, c. 1950
Pair of Italian Florentine Neoclassical Giltwood Wall Brackets Shelves, c. 1950

Pair of Italian Florentine Neoclassical Giltwood Wall Brackets Shelves, c. 1950

Located in Pearland, TX

A lovely pair of vintage Italian gilded wood wall brackets or shelves from Florence, Italy, circa 1950. These stylish brackets have hand carved scroll designs and beautiful gilt pati...

Category

1950s Italian Vintage Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood

Pair Monumental Walnut Renaissance Revival Grotesque Mask Architectural Corbels
Pair Monumental Walnut Renaissance Revival Grotesque Mask Architectural Corbels

Pair Monumental Walnut Renaissance Revival Grotesque Mask Architectural Corbels

Located in Lisse, NL

Pair of monumental hand-carved walnut Renaissance Revival corner corbels with grotesque masks, Europe circa 1880. This impressive pair of hand-carved walnut corner corbels is a stri...

Category

Late 19th Century Renaissance Revival Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Walnut

Antique Gothic Hand-Carved Crucifix w. Polychrome Corpus, European Church Relic
Antique Gothic Hand-Carved Crucifix w. Polychrome Corpus, European Church Relic

Antique Gothic Hand-Carved Crucifix w. Polychrome Corpus, European Church Relic

Located in Lisse, NL

Gothic Revival hand-carved crucifix with original polychrome, 19th Century European ecclesiastical ART. An exquisite and spiritually moving 19th-century fine hand-carved oakwood cru...

Category

1890s French Arts and Crafts Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Oak, Paint

Antique Hand Carved Gothic Revival Wall Bracket or Shelf for a Saint Statue
Antique Hand Carved Gothic Revival Wall Bracket or Shelf for a Saint Statue

Antique Hand Carved Gothic Revival Wall Bracket or Shelf for a Saint Statue

Located in Lisse, NL

Good size and great looking Gothic Revival bracket for displaying a statuette. This Gothic console for wall mounting dates from the early 1900s and it has the most timeless design a...

Category

Early 1900s European Gothic Revival Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Metal

Hans Zatzka, Austrian Oil on Canvas Titled "Spring Love" Maiden with Cherubs"
Hans Zatzka, Austrian Oil on Canvas Titled "Spring Love" Maiden with Cherubs"

Hans Zatzka, Austrian Oil on Canvas Titled "Spring Love" Maiden with Cherubs"

By Hans Zatzka

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Hans Zatzka (Austrian, 1859-1945) a superb quality oil on canvas titled "Spring Love" depicting a standing young maiden holding a wicker basket filled with fresh flower as she is bei...

Category

1880s Austrian Belle Époque Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Giltwood

19Th.Century Rare French Solid Oak Hand Carved Over-Door Panel
19Th.Century Rare French Solid Oak Hand Carved Over-Door Panel

19Th.Century Rare French Solid Oak Hand Carved Over-Door Panel

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Just arrived in my last container this exceptional 19Th.Century French Solid Oak Hand Carved Over-Door Panel. The center cartouche is surrounded by scrolls and the center medallion h...

Category

1860s French French Provincial Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Oak

An Italian 18th Century Oil on Canvas "Madonna & Child" after Giovanni Lanfranco
An Italian 18th Century Oil on Canvas "Madonna & Child" after Giovanni Lanfranco

An Italian 18th Century Oil on Canvas "Madonna & Child" after Giovanni Lanfranco

By Giovanni Lanfranco

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A very fine and large Italian 18th century oil on canvas "Madonna and Child" after Giovanni Lanfranco (Italian, 1582-1647). The young Virgin Mary at...

Category

18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas, Giltwood

Tapestry   Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period 1738 at the Gobelins
Tapestry   Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period 1738 at the Gobelins

Tapestry Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period 1738 at the Gobelins

By Aubusson Manufacture

Located in Madrid, ES

Tapestry from the Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period , made in 1738 at the Gobelins One panel from a series of Gobelins tapestries depicting the History of Esther, illustrating Esther seated and attended by handmaidens, one washing her feet in golden basin, another fastening a bracelet, another offering a mirror, all observed by Mordecai, woven in the workshop of Michele Audran after a design by J. F. de Troy. The Toilet of Esther c.1778-85.Royal Collection Trust-Queens Audience Chamber Windsor Castle The Sketches for the Esther Cycle by Jean-François de Troy (1736) “and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mor’decai, ..., took for his own daughter.” (Est. 2:7) A supple and undulating genius, both a flattering portraitist and a prolix history painter, as well as a brilliant genre painter, in a gallant or worldly vein, Jean-François de Troy (Paris, 1679 – Rome, 1752), solicited, although he had passed the threshold of old age, a new royal commission up to his ambitions. To obtain it, he submitted – successfully - for the approval of the Bâtiments du roi (administration), seven modelli painted in 1736 with his usual alacrity. Inspired by one of the most novelistic texts of the Old Testament, the Book of Esther, these sketches in a rapid and virtuoso manner were transformed by the artist, between 1737 and 1740 into large cartoons intended to serve as models for the weavers of the Gobelins factory. Showing undeniable ease and skill in the composition in perfect harmony with the sensitivities of the times, the tapestry set met with great success. The Story of Esther perfectly corresponded to the plan of the Bâtiments du roi to renew the repertoire of tapestry models used for the weavers of the royal factories while it also conformed to the tastes of Louis XV’s subjects for a fantastical Orient, the set for a dramatic tale in which splendour, love and death were combined. Indeed, no tapestry set was woven in France during the 18th century as often as that of Esther. The series of modelli painted by de Troy during the year 1736 looks to the history of French painting and decoration under Louis XV as much as it does the history of the Gobelins. It probably counts among the most important rococo pictorial groups to have remained in private hands. First the Biblical source illustrated by De Troy which constitutes the base of one of the richest iconographical traditions of Western art will be considered. Then the circumstances and specific character of French civilisation during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV which contributed to making the theme of Esther a relevant subject, both attractive to contemporaries and remarkably in line with the sensitivities of the time will be elucidated. An examination of the exceptional series of sketches united here, the cartoons and the tapestries that they anticipate as well as a study of their reception will close this essay. The Book of Esther: A scriptural source at the source of rich iconography. The origin of the Esther tapestry set by Jean-François de Troy – origin and creation of a masterpiece According to the evidence of one of the artist’s early biographers, the chevalier de Valory, author of a posthumous elegy of the master, read at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 6 February 1762, it was apparently due to early16 rivalry with François Lemoyne (1688-1737), his younger colleague who had precisely just been appointed First Painter to the King in 1736, that had encouraged François de Troy to seek a commission allowing him to show off his ease and his promptitude at the expense of a rival who was notoriously laborious: “M. De Troy, retaining some resentment of the kind of disadvantage which he believed to have suffered compared with his emulator looked to regain some territory by making use of the facility his rival did not possess. Lemoyne was excessively long in the creation of his works,and M. De Troy of a rare celerity: consequently, with this particular talent, the latter offered to the court to make paintings appropriate to be executed at the Gobelins Factory; and it is to this circumstance that we owe the beautiful series of the Story of Esther, which would be sufficient alone to give him a great reputation.”17 Beyond the suspicion inspired by the topos, which still constitutes, more or less, a tale of rivalries between artists in ancient literature, there is probably some truth in what Valory reports although A.-J. Dezalier d’Argenville (who indicates rather spitefully that de Troy did not hesitate to “cut prices” to impose himself, benefitting from the productivity assured by the unlikely rapidity of his brush)18 proves to be more evasive: “As he looked to busy himself, he had offered to make the paintings that serve as models for the King’s tapestries cheaply: which did not please his colleagues. He was given a choice of two tapestry series to be made and he took the Story of Esther and that of Jason”.19 Whether or not the choice was actually left to de Troy (which would appear rather casual on the royal administration’s part all the same), it seems likely that the artist, whose contemporaries extol his “fire”, as the faculty of invention was then called, must have ardently aspired to the possibility of using on a very large scale the “creative genius” with which Dezallier d’Argenville credits him. The decoration of the private apartments, the fashion for which Louis XV had promoted at Versailles and Fontainebleau, offered little opportunity to excel in this area. Other than painting for altarpieces, only tapestries could allow comparison with Lemoyne who had been granted – unfortunately for him – a major decoration: the enormous ceiling of the Hercules Room at Versailles. Favoured by the recent improvement in France’s financial situation, the revival of patronage offered de Troy a commission fitting for him, in a field in which, however, he had hardly any experience. Anxious to renew the repertoire of models available to the Gobelins factory, the Duc d’Antin, surintendant des Bâtiments du roi from 1708 to 1736 followed by his successor, Philibert Orry comte de Vignory, gave him the task of producing seven large cartoons inspired by the Book of Esther corresponding to the brilliant sketches or modelli which de Troy had produced in one go, or almost (very few preparatory drawings can in fact be linked to the Esther cycle and all seem to be at the execution stage of the cartoons).20 Subjected to the approval of the Administration des Bâtiments according to the procedure in use for projects being planned for the Gobelins, sketches made rapidly during 1736 were approved and the project launched immediately. Thereupon came the news of François Lemoyne’s death, who, ground down by work and a victim of his private torment, committed suicide on 4 June 1737. Against all expectations, de Troy did not replace his rival in the position of First Painter (which remained vacant until the appointment of Charles Coypel in January 1747), which would perhaps have made him too obviously the beneficiary of the drama. The awarding of the position of Director of the French Academy in Rome came to console him while he had already produced (or he was in the process of finishing), in Paris, three of the seven cartoons of the cycle (The Fainting of Esther finished in 1737 and the Toilet and Coronation of Esther, both finished in 1738). De Troy, we can see, did not follow the order of the narrative but began with the subjects which apparently offered the least difficulty because he had already depicted them, or because they fall into a strong pictorial tradition (such is the case especially for the Fainting of Esther). He had hardly settled at the Palazzo Mancini in August 1738, when his first task which awaited the new director of the French Academy naturally consisted of honouring the royal commission and finishing without delay the final cartoons of the Story of Esther after the sketches he must have taken with him. As prompt as ever, de Troy discharged himself of the execution of the four remaining cartoons in only two years, by beginning with the largest format which allowed him to strike the imagination and to impose himself as soon as he arrived on the Roman stage: the Triumph of Mor’decai which was finished in 1739 (like Esther’s Banquet). The following year, the Mor’decai's Disdain and The Sentencing of Haman were brought to an end in the same Neo-Venetian style, obviously tributary to Veronese with its choice of “open” monumental architecture which is characteristic of the entire cycle.21 The series, it should be noted, was almost augmented with some additional scenes in the mid 1740s. Indeed, the first tapestry set finished at the Gobelins in 1744 proved to be unsuitable for the arrangement of the Dauphine’s apartments at Versailles for which it had been intended to decorate the walls the following year (cf infra). Informed of this, de Troy, considering that the story of Esther offered “several good subjects,” immediately offered to illustrate one or new subject among those “which could appear to be the most interesting”. The directeur des Bâtiments Orry, who managed the State’s accounts, obviously judged it less costly to have one of the tapestries widened to fill in the end of the Dauphine’s bedroom,22 which has probably deprived us of very original compositions, because de Troy had already illustrated the most famous themes, those that benefitted from a strongly established iconographical tradition and from which it was not easy to deviate The Tapestry Set of the Story of Esther Placed on the tapestry looms of the Gobelins at the end of the 1730s in Michel Audran’s workshop, the cycle created by de Troy aroused true infatuation. The few hundred tapestries made between 1738 and 1797 – all in high-warp tapestry and woven in wool and silk except for four in low-warp made in Neilson’s workshop – show the impressive success of a tapestry set that was without any doubt the most frequently woven of the 18th century in France. 29 Only three cartoons had been delivered by de Troy in 1738 when the first tapestry set was begun by Audran under the expert eye of Jean-Baptiste Oudry to whom the Directeur général des bâtiments, Philibert Orry had assigned the (weekly) supervision of the weaving. During the summer of 1738, the piece of the Fainting of Esther, which Oudry judged to be admirable, was finished. During the winter of 1742, Oudry informed Orry that about two ells of the Triumph of Mor’decai had been made “with no faults”,that the Coronation of Esther was finished and that the Esther at her Toilet “a very gracious tapestry” was “a little over half” finished. Exhibited at Versailles in 1743, these two last pieces were admired by Louis XV and the Court. On 3 December 1744, the set of seven tapestries was finally delivered to the Garde Meuble. It was intended, the honour was not slight, to decorate the apartments of the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain whose marriage to the young Dauphin Louis-Ferdinand had been fixed for the following year (it took place on 23 February 1745). Apparently it was thought that the theme of Esther the biblical heroine and wife of a foreign sovereign was appropriate for the apartments of the Spanish Dauphine. As early as the month of March, the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel informed de Troy that her grand cabinet was decorated with the “Esther tapestry set” specifying however that “for lack of two small or one large piece, we have not been able to decorate the end of the room”. This difficulty led immediately to the Banquet episode being woven a second time in two parts (they were delivered to the Garde-Meuble on 30 December 1746) to garnish the panels on each side of the bed of the Dauphine who would hardly enjoy them (she died on 22 July 1746 and the decoration was installed for the new Dauphine Maria Josepha of Saxony). The appearance of the set’s remarkable border, which imitated a richly sculpted wooden frame, should be mentioned. Conceived in 1738 by the ornamentalist Pierre Josse-Perrot and used in the later weavings until 1768, it tended to reinforce the resolutely painterly appearance of the tapestry set which, in this regard, pushed the art of tapestry as far as its ultimate mimetic possibilities. With the exception of Mor’decai's Disdain which had been removed earlier, the “editio princeps” of the story of Esther (from then on in nine pieces) remained at Versailles until the Revolution. Of the eight surviving tapestries, four are at the chateau of Compiègne and four belong today to the Mobilier National. No less than seven tapestry sets reputed to be complete (one of them in fact only had six tapestries) would be produced officially at the Gobelins up to 1772. Literature: 1- The Œuvres mêlées of an emulator of Racine, the Abbé Augustin NADAL thus include an Esther. Divertissement spiritual which is exactly contemporary with Jean François de Troy’s cycle since it was performed in 1735 and published in Paris three years later. 2-Le Siècle de Louis XIV, 1751, 1785 ed., p. 96-97 for French ed. 3- Lemoyne and de Troy had been obliged to share the First Prize in the competition organised in 1727 between the most prominent history painters of the Académie Royale. 4- Mémoires…, pub. L. DUSSIEUX et al., 1854, II, p.265. 5-The fact that de Troy, at the risk of falling out with his colleagues, did not hesitate to make use of prices in order to convince the new directeur des Bâtiments Philibert Orry, is confirmed by Mariette who adds tersely “it caused much shouting” (pub. 1851-1860, II, p. 103). 6- Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres…, ed. 1762, IV, p. 368-369 20 Early comments on the painter are inclined to present him as a kind of “pure painter”, doing without the medium of drawing, a few intermediary studies between the Esther sketches and the large cartoons at the Louvre nevertheless show that de Troy used red chalk (see in the catalogue, the notice for the Meal of Esther and Ahasuerus under the entry drawing) to change one or other figure. 7-C. GASTINEL-COURAL (cat. exp. PARIS, 1985, p. 9-13) as well as the article by J. VITTET, exh. cat. LA ROCHE-GUYON, 2001, p. 51-55. 8-The Hermitage in St. Petersburg conserves five tapestries of these two royal gifts whose provenance still awaits elucidation (as far as we are aware). In 1766, the Grand Marshal of Russia, Count Razumovski (or Razamowski), acquired the Fainting and the Banquet extracted from the sixth weaving (J. VITTET, 2001, p. 53). 9- Lettres écrites de Suisse, d’Italie…,quoted by J. VITTET, op. cit., p. 54. 10-The tapestry set remained in the hands of a branch of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family until 1933 (ibid. P. 54). 11-Quoted by Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, p. 97, note 269. 12-Y. CANTAREL-BESSON, 1992, p. 241. Catalogue The Esther at her Toilet Oil on canvas, 57 x 51 cm Provenance: Painted in 1736 at the same time as the six other modelli of the Story of Esther intended to be presented, for approval, to the direction des Bâtiments du Roi; perhaps identifiable among a lot of sketches by Jean-François de Troy in the post mortem inventory of the amateur, historian and critic Claude-Henri Watelet (1718-1786) drawn up on 13 January 1786 and following days (A.N. T 978, n° 30) then in the sale of the property of the deceased, Paris, 12 June 1786, n° 33; Paris, François Marcille Collection (who owned a series of six sketches from which the Triumph of Mor’decai was missing, see infra); Paris, Marcille Sale, Hôtel Drouot, 12-13 January 1857, n° 36; Asnières, Mme de Chavanne de Palmassy ( ?) collection; Paris, Galerie Cailleux; Paris, Humbert de Wendel collection (acquired from the Galerie Cailleux in 1928); by inheritance in the same family; Paris, Sotheby’s, 23 June 2011, n° 61. In order not to add unnecessarily to the technical commentary on each work, the catalogue raisonné by Chr. Leribault which contains a substantial bibliography on the series should be referred to. The other bibliographical references only concern the publications and exhibitions to have appeared and been presented more recently. Bibliography and Exhibitions: Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, n° P. 247 (repr.); E. LIMARDO DATURI, 2004, p. 28; Exh. cat. NANTES, 2011, p. 138, n° 34, referred to in note 1; Sotheby’s catalogue, Tableaux anciens et du XIXe siècle, 23 June 2011, n° 61 (repr.). Related Works: Tapestry cartoon: The cartoon (oil on canvas, 329 x 320 cm), the third made by the artist in Paris after the sketches had been approved by the direction des Bâtiments, is in the Louvre (Inv. 8315). It previously bore the painter’s signature and the date 1738 (inscriptions which are found on the tapestries). The royal administration paid 1600 livres for it on 21 June 1738 and it was exhibited at the Salon in the year of its creation. Summary Biography 1679 (27 January): Baptism in Paris (Parish of St. Nicolas du Chardonnet) of Jean-François de Troy, son of the painter François de Troy and Jeanne Cotelle, sister of the painter Jean II Cotelle. 1696-1698: Studies (apparently rather turbulent) at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. 1698-1708: First trip to Italy. Is obliged to leave Rome in January 1711 after a tempestuous affair (a duel?), de Troy extends the traditional Roman experience as a pensionnaire at the Académie de France by also visiting Tuscany where he stays for a long time, Venice (his art in face has a strongly Venetian character) and Genoa. 1708: De Troy (whose father had been elected Director of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 7 July) is agréé and immediately received at the Académie with Apollo and Diana Piercing with their Arrows the Children of Niobe (Montpellier, Musée Fabre) on 28 July. 1710: First royal commission, paid for on 10 May (a sketch representing “the Promotion of the Order of the Holy Spirit” for the tapestry series of the History of the King). 1716: Jean-François de Troy is elected Assistant Professor at the Academy. 1720: He is appointed Professor. 1723: The artist creates the double portrait of Louis XV...

Category

Early 18th Century French Baroque Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Silk

A 19th C. Italian Oil on Canvas "The Cardinal's Present" by Arturo Ricci
A 19th C. Italian Oil on Canvas "The Cardinal's Present" by Arturo Ricci

A 19th C. Italian Oil on Canvas "The Cardinal's Present" by Arturo Ricci

By Arturo Ricci

Located in New York, NY

A Marvelous 19th Century Italian Oil on Canvas titled "The Cardinal's Present" by Arturo Ricci. This oil on canvas is truly incredible and one of Ricci's best works of art. The sce...

Category

1880s Italian Louis XVI Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Italian Rococo Gilt Wall Bracket Shelf, Hand-Carved, 19th Century
Italian Rococo Gilt Wall Bracket Shelf, Hand-Carved, 19th Century

Italian Rococo Gilt Wall Bracket Shelf, Hand-Carved, 19th Century

Located in Queens, NY

Italian Rococo Revival (19/20th Cent) carved gilt wood wall bracket shelf with a white marble top. Condition: Good; Wear consistent with age and use

Category

19th Century Italian Rococo Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood

Large Torchiere Shaped Giltwood Shelf with Fern Motif
Large Torchiere Shaped Giltwood Shelf with Fern Motif

Large Torchiere Shaped Giltwood Shelf with Fern Motif

Located in London, GB

This handsomely designed shelf unit is giltwood and shaped in a decorative torchiere styled design with a fern patterned motif. The shelf measures 14 in – 35.5 cm wide, 16 ¼ in – 41....

Category

Late 20th Century Indonesian Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood

Dipinto Fiammingo su Rame 1650 circa Scena di Genere con Commedia delle Arti
Dipinto Fiammingo su Rame 1650 circa Scena di Genere con Commedia delle Arti

Dipinto Fiammingo su Rame 1650 circa Scena di Genere con Commedia delle Arti

Located in Milano, MI

Dipinto Fiammingo del 1600 a olio su rame raffigurante uno scorcio di paesaggio con figure, una scena di genere con una moltitudine di personaggi affollati in una strada con delle ar...

Category

Mid-17th Century Baroque Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Copper

Antique 19th Century Neoclassical Wall Cabinet / Small Cabinet Carved Oak
Antique 19th Century Neoclassical Wall Cabinet / Small Cabinet Carved Oak

Antique 19th Century Neoclassical Wall Cabinet / Small Cabinet Carved Oak

Located in Ijzendijke, NL

Lovely antique 19th century Neoclassical wall cabinet / small cabinet Germany 1880. This German Grunderzeit cabinet is made from hand carved oak & is richly decorated. A true display of craftsmanship & quality. This cabinet has 2 doors and comes with a working lock & key. Its interior has 2 oak shelves. The cabinet has a very nice old restoration to the right side dating from the 1940s. A piece of furniture history with the right antique charm...

Category

Late 19th Century German Neoclassical Revival Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Brass

Pair of French 18th Century Green Floral Aubusson Cartoon Mirrors
Pair of French 18th Century Green Floral Aubusson Cartoon Mirrors

Pair of French 18th Century Green Floral Aubusson Cartoon Mirrors

By Interi

Located in Columbia, SC

Pair of 18th century French Aubusson cartoon green floral mirrors. The french mirrors are Aubusson tapestry cartoon mirrors painted in gouache on pap...

Category

18th Century French Aubusson Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Mirror, Wood, Paint, Paper

Masterly Crafted w. Edelweiss Flowers Swiss Black Forest Barometer & Thermometer
Masterly Crafted w. Edelweiss Flowers Swiss Black Forest Barometer & Thermometer

Masterly Crafted w. Edelweiss Flowers Swiss Black Forest Barometer & Thermometer

Located in Lisse, NL

Top museum quality carved Swiss barometer / weather station This antique barometer is not only about the actuality of the weather, it is also a true work of art and a real pleasure to look at. The attention to detail is incredible and it must have taken a true craftsman weeks rather than days to design and finish the carved frame alone. At a later stage, the handcrafted barometer (in German) and the thermometer (in Celsius & Fahrenheit) were integrated. Notice how the Edelweiss Flowers...

Category

Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Antique Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirror, Gilded Pine, Circa 1790-1820
Antique Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirror, Gilded Pine, Circa 1790-1820

Antique Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirror, Gilded Pine, Circa 1790-1820

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

A late 18th Century, antique Swedish Gustavian rectangular wall mirror with its original mirrored glass and blue color paint, made of hand crafted gilded Pinewood, in good condition....

Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Mirror, Pine, Giltwood

Pair Midcentury Art Deco Style Alabaster Wall Sconces, Handcrafted Cocoon Shape
Pair Midcentury Art Deco Style Alabaster Wall Sconces, Handcrafted Cocoon Shape

Pair Midcentury Art Deco Style Alabaster Wall Sconces, Handcrafted Cocoon Shape

Located in Lisse, NL

Handcrafted and very stylish pair of midcentury made alabaster wall lights. This exquisite pair of wall sconces was handcrafted in Europe during the mid-late 20th century, circa the...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Alabaster, Iron

Rare Carved Wood Squirrel Bell with Brass Chimes, Rustic Cabin Lodge Decor
Rare Carved Wood Squirrel Bell with Brass Chimes, Rustic Cabin Lodge Decor

Rare Carved Wood Squirrel Bell with Brass Chimes, Rustic Cabin Lodge Decor

Located in Lisse, NL

A beautifully carved wooden bell featuring a stylized squirrel perched above a set of elongated brass chimes. There is something quietly charming about the way this piece is made. T...

Category

Mid-20th Century European Arts and Crafts Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Brass

LATE 18TH-CENTURY PAINTING FEATURING AN ALLEGORY OF A WINGED PUTTO
LATE 18TH-CENTURY PAINTING FEATURING AN ALLEGORY OF A WINGED PUTTO

LATE 18TH-CENTURY PAINTING FEATURING AN ALLEGORY OF A WINGED PUTTO

Located in Firenze, FI

A refined oil painting on canvas, set in a carved and gilded wooden frame. The painting features an inner frame decorated with scrollwork friezes and floral motifs, at the center of ...

Category

Late 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Revival Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Antique Danish Wooden Mangle Board, a Wedding Love Gift with Horse 1750-1800
Antique Danish Wooden Mangle Board, a Wedding Love Gift with Horse 1750-1800

Antique Danish Wooden Mangle Board, a Wedding Love Gift with Horse 1750-1800

Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg

Danish mangle board (clothing and bedding press) dated from ca. 1750-1800. Made of wood richly decorated with hand-carved geometric patterns and a horse as handle. With original re...

Category

Late 18th Century Scandinavian Folk Art Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Marvelous Antique Carved Wood Locksmith Trade Sign
Marvelous Antique Carved Wood Locksmith Trade Sign

Marvelous Antique Carved Wood Locksmith Trade Sign

Located in Hopewell, NJ

A wonderful early 20th century carved mahogany locksmith trade sign in the shape of a large key. Makes an unexpected piece of wall art as a found object with tons of character.

Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Ceramic Link Chain Wall Sculpture
Ceramic Link Chain Wall Sculpture

Ceramic Link Chain Wall Sculpture

By Asmaa Aman-Tran

Located in Attleboro, MA

The Hamsa hand or hand of Fatima is known across many cultures to protect its wearer and ward off bad energy. It is also a symbol of patience and claire voyance. The Artist often use...

Category

2010s American Organic Modern Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Ceramic, Stoneware

Walnut paneling with built-in door
Walnut paneling with built-in door

Walnut paneling with built-in door

Located in Cuneo, Italy (CN)

Walnut paneling with a built-in door on the right. The style is reminiscent of French paneling or that of northern Italy in the French style, featuring contoured panels and understat...

Category

18th Century European Baroque Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Nutwood

Sofa Louis XV, Covered with Authentic Perfect Aubusson Tapestry
Sofa Louis XV, Covered with Authentic Perfect Aubusson Tapestry

Sofa Louis XV, Covered with Authentic Perfect Aubusson Tapestry

Located in Alessandria, Piemonte

1910/M, I hope You can understand what it is from some photos only. Museum quality antique sofa, coating with an authentic Aubusson old tapestry: every...

Category

Late 18th Century Italian Louis XV Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Pair of Antique Carved Oak Panels  17th Century English Coffer Panels
Pair of Antique Carved Oak Panels  17th Century English Coffer Panels

Pair of Antique Carved Oak Panels 17th Century English Coffer Panels

Located in Lincoln, GB

A Pair of Antique Carved Oak Panels This is a magnificent pair of antique carved oak panels, rich in both detail and history. Dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, these p...

Category

17th Century British Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Oak

Late 18th / Early 19th Century, Tuscany Carved and Gilt Wood Frame
Late 18th / Early 19th Century, Tuscany Carved and Gilt Wood Frame

Late 18th / Early 19th Century, Tuscany Carved and Gilt Wood Frame

Located in IT

Late 18th / Early 19th Century, Tuscany Carved and Gilt Wood Frame This elegant frame in finely carved and gilt wood was made in Tuscany between the late 18th century and the early...

Category

Early 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood

Pair of French Antique Black Forest Panels in Carved Oak, Late 19th Century
Pair of French Antique Black Forest Panels in Carved Oak, Late 19th Century

Pair of French Antique Black Forest Panels in Carved Oak, Late 19th Century

Located in Dallas, TX

A celebration of a traditional French hunt of the late 1800s, this pair of Black Forest-style panels has been hand-carved from oak. In the center of each rectangular panel is a high-...

Category

Late 19th Century French Black Forest Antique Carved Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Oak

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