A walnut veneer library desk in the Attic style
Inlaid on softwood with cast iron mountings. Round table top with an engraved depiction of two Attic warriors in the style of black figure vases. The top attached to the square lower section via a bolt. The lid of the square base can be removed to reveal a large compartment. On outswept tripod supports. Restored over old shrinkage cracks. H 80, D 141 cm.
Turin, 2nd quarter 19th C., decor in the manner of Pelagio Palagi, attributed to his workshop or a follower of Gabriele Capello.
Gabriele Capello (1806 - 77), called Moncalvo after his home town, moved to Turin after completing his apprenticeship as a carpenter. There he founded a workshop together with fellow ebenist Felice Facta in 1827. Thanks to Capello's exceptional artistic and commercial talents, the firm quickly developed to become of the the most important makers of furniture and wooden furniture in the Kingdom of Sardinia. Capello began collaborating with Pelagio Palagi (1775 - 1860) on the renovation of the Savoy residences in 1833, especially of Racconigi Palace and the Palazzo Reale, and became principal supplier of furniture for the royal house. One particularly noteworthy royal commission was the unusual Etruscan style cabinet in Rocconigi, which was a collaboration between the two artists. In contrast to this piece, the present work is not a replica of an ancient furniture piece, but inspired by antique designs. It highlights the eclectic nature of early Italian Historicism, and can therefore be attributed to Capellos workshop or a follower.
Literature
Cf. Colle, Italian Empire Furniture, Milan 1998, no. 120 ff.