Chair
1838-1840 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This chair formed part of the furniture of the royal residence of Racconigi, outside Turin. It was designed by Filippo Pelagio Palagi (1775-1860), Italy’s leading decorator during the period 1825-1850. Palagi undertook all aspects of interior design, from murals to curtain pelmets. He employed a wide range of craftsmen. Among them was Gabrielle Cappello (1806-1876), known as ‘Moncalvo’, who made this marquetry chair.
Palagi completed his work at Racconigi by 1845. But his patron, Carlo Alberto I of Sardinia (reigned 1831-1849), enjoyed it for only a few years. The king abdicated in 1849, after a crushing defeat by the Austrians at Novara. He died in exile in Portugal a few months later.
Palagi completed his work at Racconigi by 1845. But his patron, Carlo Alberto I of Sardinia (reigned 1831-1849), enjoyed it for only a few years. The king abdicated in 1849, after a crushing defeat by the Austrians at Novara. He died in exile in Portugal a few months later.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Maple and mahogany veneer, on a mahogany carcase |
| Brief description | Italian, Piedmont, 1833-5, des. Pelagio Pelagi |
| Physical description | Mahogany, veneered in maple and mahogany. Modern upholstery. The frame is decorated with anthemion motifs. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'IIII' (front seat rail; chisel-marked) |
| Gallery label | Europe and America 1800-1900, room 101
CHAIR
1838-40
Palagi worked mainly in Bologna but in 1832 he went to Turin at the invitation of King Charles Albert of Sardinia. There he became Director of the School of Ornament at the Academy of Arts and also designed many interiors for the king. Palagi was passionately interested in archaeology, and the cresting of this chair shows his knowledge of Etruscan bronzes.
Italy, Turin; designed by Filippo Pelagio Palagi for the Castello di Racconigi; made in the workshops of Gabrielle Cappello
Maple and mahogany veneer on a carcase of mahogany; original upholstery of blue and white damask replaced
(05/08/2015) |
| Object history | This chair formed part of a major suite of furniture for the royal Drawing Room and adjacent Bedchamber designed by Pelagio Pelagi for the Castelloi di Racconigi, the gothic revival hunting lodge near Turin belonging to King Carlo Alberto I of Sardinia. Purchased from Old Master Ltd, London. Historical significance: Cappello, known as 'il Moncalvo', developed a new inlay technique for the Racconigi furniture, which consisted of taking two sheets of wood of different colours, cutting out the motif on the upper one, and hollowing out the lower one to receive it. This created an extremely smooth surface, which played on the contrasts between light and dark woods, and allowed particularly rapid execution. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This chair formed part of the furniture of the royal residence of Racconigi, outside Turin. It was designed by Filippo Pelagio Palagi (1775-1860), Italy’s leading decorator during the period 1825-1850. Palagi undertook all aspects of interior design, from murals to curtain pelmets. He employed a wide range of craftsmen. Among them was Gabrielle Cappello (1806-1876), known as ‘Moncalvo’, who made this marquetry chair. Palagi completed his work at Racconigi by 1845. But his patron, Carlo Alberto I of Sardinia (reigned 1831-1849), enjoyed it for only a few years. The king abdicated in 1849, after a crushing defeat by the Austrians at Novara. He died in exile in Portugal a few months later. |
| Bibliographic reference | Wilk, Christopher. Western Furniture 1350 to Present Day: In the Victoria and Albert Museum London. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Limited, 1976, p146-147.
ISBN: 1856674435 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.3-1988 |
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| Record created | May 24, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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