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Snuffbox

1777-1779 (marked)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The late 1750s and 1760s saw a new vogue for boxes mounted with gouache miniature paintings depicting classical subjects, river scenes, views of chateaux and elegant garden parties. The scene painted on the top of this box took place on July 13, 1740 in the royal forest of Compiègne. During a court hunt involving Louis XV, a stag was pursued onto the roof of a thatched cottage and remained at bay until the master of the hunt cut the roof from underneath him. The box is reputed to have belonged to Louis XV and to have been subsequently presented to André Huë in 1824 by Louis XVIII. The Huë family had a long tradition of royal service, principally as greffiers de chasse, record-keepers of the royal hunt at Fontainebleau.

The miniatures are by a member of the van Blarenberghe family of painters. At least five members of the family were painters of miniatures. They rarely signed their work with either their first name or initials, which makes attribution almost impossible. The hunting scenes and their quality are typical of their known output.

Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world’s great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Chased and enamelled gold, set with freshwater pearls (possibly margaritifera margaritifera) and glazed gouache miniature, watercolour on vellum.
Brief description
Snuffbox with six miniatures depicting scenes from the chase. Gold, pearls, enamel, glazed miniatures. Pierre-François Drais, Paris. Miniatures by a member of the van Blarenberghe family, 1777-79
Physical description
An oval, gold-mounted enamelled snuffbox, comprising six miniatures in gouache under rock-crystal depicting scenes from the chase.
Dimensions
  • Depth: 3.5cm
  • Width: 8.9cm
  • Height: 6.6cm
Measured 19/02/24 IW
Marks and inscriptions
  • Mark of Pierre-François Drais (active 1763–88) (In the front wall)
  • Paris marks ca. 1777-1779 (In the front wall, in the lid, in the base, and on the front of the bezel)
  • Engraved 'Drais Bijoutier du Roy a Paris' (On the bezel)
  • Signed 'van Blarenberghe' (On the miniature on the base)
Gallery label
  • 4. Snuffbox with scenes of a hunt, 1777–79 Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.361-2008(16/11/2016)
  • Snuffbox with hunt scenes 1777–9 The scene depicted on the cover took place on the French royal estate at Compiègne on 13 July 1740. A stag pursued by the hunt took refuge on the thatched roof of a house. Louis XVIII later presented the snuffbox to Baron André Hüe in 1824. The Hüe family had long served as record-keepers for the royal hunt. According to family tradition, the box was first owned by Louis XVI. Paris, France; mark of Pierre-François Drais (active 1763–88), miniatures by a member of the van Blarenberghe family Gold, pearls, enamel and glazed miniatures Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.361-2008(2009)
Credit line
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
Provenance: Apparently, Louis XVI, and thence by descent. Presented by Louis XVIII to Baron André Hüe, thence by descent, 1824. Sotheby's, Geneva, lot 79, November 16, 1983. S.J. Phillips, London, 1983.
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
The late 1750s and 1760s saw a new vogue for boxes mounted with gouache miniature paintings depicting classical subjects, river scenes, views of chateaux and elegant garden parties. The scene painted on the top of this box took place on July 13, 1740 in the royal forest of Compiègne. During a court hunt involving Louis XV, a stag was pursued onto the roof of a thatched cottage and remained at bay until the master of the hunt cut the roof from underneath him. The box is reputed to have belonged to Louis XV and to have been subsequently presented to André Huë in 1824 by Louis XVIII. The Huë family had a long tradition of royal service, principally as greffiers de chasse, record-keepers of the royal hunt at Fontainebleau.

The miniatures are by a member of the van Blarenberghe family of painters. At least five members of the family were painters of miniatures. They rarely signed their work with either their first name or initials, which makes attribution almost impossible. The hunting scenes and their quality are typical of their known output.

Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world’s great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Bibliographic references
  • Maricourt, André Baron de. Souvenirs du Baron Hüe, officier de le chambre du roi Louis XVI et du roi Louis XVIII (1787-1815). Paris,1903, note to introduction.
  • Truman, Charles.The Gilbert collection of gold boxes, Vol. I. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1991, cat. no. 31, pp. 104-7. ISBN.0875871623
  • Schroder, Timothy, ed. The Gilbert Collection at the V&A. London (V&A Publishing) 2009, plate 39, p. 55. ISBN9781851775934
  • Zech, Heike. 'Goldboxes in the Gilbert Collection at the V & A'. In : Art Antiques London. Catalogue of Art Antiques London, incorporating The International Ceramics Fair & Seminar, 10 June - 16 June 2010. London: Haughton International Fairs, 2010, p. 16, ill.
  • Zech, Heike. Gold Boxes. Masterpieces from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. London: V&A Publishing, 2015, pp. 60-61, no. 15. ISBN 987-1-85177-840-9
  • Schroder, Timothy. Gold boxes : from the Gilbert collection : an exhibition, Los Angeles : Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1986 62
  • Catalogue de l'Exposition de Marie-Antoinette et son temps, Paris : Galerie Sedelmeyer, 1894 no.43
  • Minter, Alice et al. Masterpieces in Miniature: Treasures from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. London: V&A Publishing, 2021, p.67, cat.43
Other numbers
  • GB 83 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 1996.435 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
  • 1996.791.1 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
  • MIN 26 - Arthur Gilbert Number
Collection
Accession number
LOAN:GILBERT.361-2008

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Record createdJune 19, 2008
Record URL
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