Side Table
ca. 1780 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
Side tables were mostly either rectangular or semi-elliptical. They were placed against a wall, with one candelabra or more placed on the top, so that the light could be reflected in a mirror. Such tables were mostly ornamental, as one can see from the lavish decoration of the top, and reserved for the grandest rooms of an important house.
Subjects Depicted
The table top depicts Aurora, the Roman goddess of Dawn, scattering flowers before her chariot. It is adapted from a painting of 1614 by Guido Reni in the Palazzo Rospigliosi, Rome. The figures in the medallions at the sides represent Music and Architecture respectively.
Place
Although untraced in any royal accounts, this table bears the inventory stamp 'G IV R' of George IV. It is thought to have been sold by Phillips' at a sale at Buckingham Palace on 11 August 1836.
People
The table top resembles a drawing by John Yenn, who was the leading draughtsman of Sir William Chambers, architect to George III. Chambers designed a similar table for Gower House, the London residence of the 1st Marquis of Stafford (1721-1803).
The top of the V&A table was probably painted by Giovanni Battista Cipriani, a decorative painter from Florence, Italy. He settled in England in 1756 and worked extensively for Chambers and to a lesser extent for Robert Adam. Cipriani executed a similar scene on the ceiling of the library of Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire.
Side tables were mostly either rectangular or semi-elliptical. They were placed against a wall, with one candelabra or more placed on the top, so that the light could be reflected in a mirror. Such tables were mostly ornamental, as one can see from the lavish decoration of the top, and reserved for the grandest rooms of an important house.
Subjects Depicted
The table top depicts Aurora, the Roman goddess of Dawn, scattering flowers before her chariot. It is adapted from a painting of 1614 by Guido Reni in the Palazzo Rospigliosi, Rome. The figures in the medallions at the sides represent Music and Architecture respectively.
Place
Although untraced in any royal accounts, this table bears the inventory stamp 'G IV R' of George IV. It is thought to have been sold by Phillips' at a sale at Buckingham Palace on 11 August 1836.
People
The table top resembles a drawing by John Yenn, who was the leading draughtsman of Sir William Chambers, architect to George III. Chambers designed a similar table for Gower House, the London residence of the 1st Marquis of Stafford (1721-1803).
The top of the V&A table was probably painted by Giovanni Battista Cipriani, a decorative painter from Florence, Italy. He settled in England in 1756 and worked extensively for Chambers and to a lesser extent for Robert Adam. Cipriani executed a similar scene on the ceiling of the library of Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gilded pine, with mahogany top with painted decoration |
| Brief description | Semi-circular side table, with gilded frame, the top painted in brown grisaille on a yellow ground, with classical scenes |
| Physical description | This table was examined with Yvonne Jones on 13/07/2006, to check whether the painted decoration might not be on papier maché, or on metal. The latter possibility was ruled out, as it does not respond to a metal detector (though both the metal mounts and the gilding do, indicating the high gold content of the gold leaf). As far as we could see the painting is directly on the wood (with a support of e.g. gesso), but it was difficult to be sure of this, as the edges of the top are completely bound with metal, including the back edge. (LMW 14/07/2006). |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Stamped on the back G IV R |
| Gallery label |
|
| Credit line | Given by Mr Moss Harris, through The Art Fund |
| Object history | Probably designed by John Yenn (1750-1821); probably painted by Giambattista Cipriani (born in Florence, Italy, 1727, died in London, 1785) in London. The table, with another of similar size and a smaller one, were possibly made for Queen Charlotte's drawing room at Windsor Castle, where Yenn was working in 1795. If these are the tables at Windsor Castle, they may have been sold in an auction held at Buckingham Palace by Mr Phillips, 11 August 1836, lots 109 and 110. The description of those lots is of 'a pair of gilt, semi-circular pier tables, with painted tops' and 'a ditto'. A copy of the catalogue is held by the Wallace Collection. The two larger tables from this sale were sold by William Angerstein, Weeting Hall, Norfolk, in 1895 with a provenance relating them to Carlton House (Christie, Manson and Woods, London, 5 April 1895, lot 160). They were purchased by 'Davis' for £267 15s. They may have been acquired by William's grandfather, Julius Angmering, a noted collector. Museum negative 74591 shows this on display in Gallery 40 in 1936 as part of a display of Georgian furniture. Also shown in neg, 74057, view 1c. A related table sold at Christie's London, 'The Exceptional Sale 2016', 7 July 2016, Lot 321. |
| Summary | Object Type Side tables were mostly either rectangular or semi-elliptical. They were placed against a wall, with one candelabra or more placed on the top, so that the light could be reflected in a mirror. Such tables were mostly ornamental, as one can see from the lavish decoration of the top, and reserved for the grandest rooms of an important house. Subjects Depicted The table top depicts Aurora, the Roman goddess of Dawn, scattering flowers before her chariot. It is adapted from a painting of 1614 by Guido Reni in the Palazzo Rospigliosi, Rome. The figures in the medallions at the sides represent Music and Architecture respectively. Place Although untraced in any royal accounts, this table bears the inventory stamp 'G IV R' of George IV. It is thought to have been sold by Phillips' at a sale at Buckingham Palace on 11 August 1836. People The table top resembles a drawing by John Yenn, who was the leading draughtsman of Sir William Chambers, architect to George III. Chambers designed a similar table for Gower House, the London residence of the 1st Marquis of Stafford (1721-1803). The top of the V&A table was probably painted by Giovanni Battista Cipriani, a decorative painter from Florence, Italy. He settled in England in 1756 and worked extensively for Chambers and to a lesser extent for Robert Adam. Cipriani executed a similar scene on the ceiling of the library of Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire. |
| Associated object | E.4988-1910 (Design) |
| Bibliographic reference | VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM REVIEW OF THE PRINCIPAL ACQUISITIONS DURING THE YEAR 1928, ILLUSTRATED (LONDON: PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, 1929), pp.84-5
In the course of the year the collection of English furniture and woodwork received some notable additions which greatly enhanced its representative character: among them being several gifts of outstanding importance….
A MARQUETRY DRESSING-TABLE: AND A GILT SIDETABLE FROM CARLTON HOUSE…
A carved and gilt side-table, one of a pair, given by Mr. Moss Harris through the National Art-Collections Fund, is said to have formed part of the furnishing of Carlton House, and is stamped G.IV.R. at the back. The top is finely painted in grisaille, and in the centre has a medallion adapted from the well-known picture by Guido Reni, representing Aurora scattering flowers before the chariot of the sun. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.42:1 to 3-1928 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
