the Salone Delle Quattro Porte ’s Furniture An exceptional furniture set realized by
MoĂŻse Michelangelo Guggenheim for the Palazzo Papadopoli in Venice
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
A major rediscovery for the Histo-
ry of 19th century Italian furniture, the
Galerie Marc Maison presents as world exclusive the original furniture of the Sa-
lone delle Quattro Porte, a grand reception
room of the Palazzo Papadopoli in Venice. These fourteen pieces of furniture were ordered by the Aldobrandini-Papadopoli
brothers on the occasion of the palace’s reorganization between 1874 and 1881. They
are the work of the designer and antiquarian Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim, taking
here inspiration from Venetian 16th century
designs.
Of outstanding quality, these furniture
pieces finely sculpted in walnut enable the
great rediscovery of a unique artist who
made the worldwide pride of Venice. A true masterpiece, this hardly equaled work, reaching the 19th century decorative arts top-level, owed Guggenheim a Gold Me-
dal for Merit in Sciences and Arts handed by Ludwig II of Bavaria.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim (1837 - 1910)
In Venice at the end of the 19th century, Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim was a well-known fi-
gure: antiquarian, collector, maker of artistic furniture and active participant in the public life of the city. Present in committees of numerous exhibitions, he was named Academic of merit by the Royal Academy of Beaux-Arts, corresponding with the University of Venice, Commander of the Crown of Italy and Knight of the order of the saints Maurice and Lazare. He occupied a particularly important
place as a protagonist of the debate on the reorganization of the Correr Museum, around the years 1880 -1890.
Michelangelo Guggenheim was born in Venice the 17 November 1837. His father, Samuel Gug-
genheim, and his mother, Sara Dettelbach, natives of the Duchy of Baden, arrived in Venice during the 1820s. Very quickly, they dedicated themselves to the collection and selling of artwork, improving their knowledge of decorative arts, at a time when, in most European countries, the question of the relationship between the arts and industry was an object of fierce debate.
Overtaking their business, Michelangelo Guggenheim made himself the voice for the need to favor
the development of arts applied to industry, foreseeing the future economic possibilities in it. He founded, in 1857, a “Stabilimento d’Arti Decorative e Industriali�, specialized in the production of prestigious furniture pieces. Sole owner, he was also the artistic director and designer of all the works. He was from the beginning for a new expressive language, but attracted constantly toward the old
models, which led him to a reinterpretation of traditional styles. Likewise, he was regularly called to make the complete furnishing of interiors, adopting a large variety of styles. The production of sculpted furniture pieces, of bronzes and of stone works by Stabilimento Guggenheim, very influenced by
the passed design language, responded to the popular taste both in Italy and abroad. His works, notably his furniture, were presented at the 1873 World Exhibition in Vienna, as well as those in Milan in 1881, Venice in 1887 and Paris in 1889. In terms of the production of artistic furniture pieces in
Venice, Guggenheim was the most active designer of the time and the initiator of the revival of ap-
plied arts to the industry. At a difficult time for the furniture industry, he succeeded in founding this factory of artistic furniture pieces and exporting them at an international level, to America, Austria,
France, Germany and England. Produced in Venice, they could be admired and sold at the highest prices in the large Parisian stores like Printemps.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Guggenheim’s factory, active until 1910, established its headquarters, from 1879, in the Balbi Palace
where a permanent exhibition of products by the maker of art works and antiques was presented. In 1885, Guggenheim published an opuscule where he gave precise descriptions about his work. Therefore one knows that at this time he possessed, “three large workshops, each with about thirty
employees, artists and workers, [the] number increased in case of important orders,� notably for the monarchs or important households. Among all the prestigious orders he received from ruling houses and individual rich, a very special interest was brought to the Palazzo Papadopoli, completely restored
between 1874 and 1881. There, Guggenheim used the decorative language of several different periods
from the Italian Renaissance to the periods of Louis XIV to LouisXVI, while furnishing each room in a well-established style. A few years later, in 1899, an album describing this work was published.
The operation was considered so exceptional that the Kingdom of Bavaria, personally from King Louis II, gave Guggenheim the Gold Medal of Merit for Science and the Arts.
Alongside his work of industrial art furniture and as a decorator, Guggenheim inherited from his
parents an activity as antiquarian and collector of antique art. He was thus one of the most important
antiquarians of Venice. He sold jugs, rugs and chandeliers as well as paintings and sculptures. Beyond his commercial interests, he developed a real understanding of these objects that had not only an aesthetic or documentary value, but would become models of inspiration for modern production. A
specialist in decorative arts, Guggenheim had a large library, considered the largest of its kind in Italy
that included the best of Italian and foreign publications devoted to decorative and industrial arts. He also devoted himself to the publication of art books.
These many activities did not prevent Guggenheim to gain interest in the proceedings of the City
and respond with articles on the restoration of monuments, industrial and artistic development as well as education.
Luca Carlevaris, Palazzo Cucina sopra il Canal Grande, engraving, 17th centuy.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
The Palazzo Papadopoli in Venise
The Palazzo Papadopoli is a Venetian palace built by Giovanni Giacomo de’ Grigi (active from 1540
to 1575), around 1560. The façade overlooking the Grand Canal is decorated in the center with Pal-
ladian loggias resembling those of the architect Michele Sanmicheli (1484-1559), Mannerist architect of the Verona school. On the sides, simple windows with triangular pediments and curves are strongly
influenced by the architecture of Andrea Palladio (1508-1580). Under the cornice appear small oval openings with frames characteristic of Jacopo Sansovino (1486-1570). The palace is surmounted by two obelisks, symbols of the Capitani da Mar. Rivaling the most prestigious buildings of the city, it is provided, just like the Ducal Palace, a Hall “of Four Doors” (Salone delle Quattro Porte).
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Eugen von Blaas, Portrait of senator
the Earl Nicolo Aldobrandini-Papadopoli, 1909, Correr Museum, Venice.
This 16th century palace was built indeed for the family Coccina, from Bergamo. They had Veronese
painting a huge and famous masterpiece for this palace, The Family Coccina Presented to The Virgin (1571).
After the disappearance of the last Coccina family member in 1748, the palace became Palazzo
Tiepolo, when it was bought by the family of the great painter Giambattista Tiepolo. A painting on
the ceiling of an alcove is attributed to him, and his son Giandomenico Tiepolo left there two scenes of 18th century Carnival of Venice, The Minuet and The Charlatan.
Subsequently, the palace passed from hand to hand before being purchased on January 25, 1864 by
two brothers, Nicolo and Angelo-Papadopoli Aldobrandini. The Papadopoli, descents of a patrician
family from Corfu, have a very good reputation. They inherited from their mother Maddalena the
famous name of Aldobrandini, which notably was Pope Clement VIII’s family name. In addition to
being landowners and industrialists, the Papadopoli brothers were committed to the city politics and acknowledged as patrons of the arts.
Escalier d’honneur du Palazzo Papadopoli, dÊcoration de Guggenheim
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Hence, to revive its splendor, the palace was considerably enlarged and redecorated entirely from
1874-1875. This undertaking was led by the architect Girolamo Levi and by the decorator and antique
dealer Michelangelo Guggenheim. The first was in charge of the work of expansion and moderniza-
tion of the palace, the second of interior decoration. Guggenheim created a journey through the ages inside the Palazzo Papadopoli, conceived to amaze the guests. Every room is decorated in a different style, recreating aristocratic atmospheres. One walks from the solemn grand staircase, evoking Quattrocento, to the Rococo exuberance in the “Stucco Room”; from the scholarly and opulent ambiance in
the “Hall of Four Doors”, to the “Chinese Room”’s refined fantasies. The renovation was so important
that a columnist wrote, in the «Gazzetta di Venezia»: «The Palace Tiepolo of the sixteenth century gives birth to the Palace Papadopoli of the nineteenth century.»
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
One of Nicolo’s twin daughters, Maddalena, married the Prince of Castelviscardo and Governor of
Rome, Ludovico Spada-Veralli-Potenziani. The Palace was left by Nicolo Aldobrandini-Papadopoli
to his other daughter Vera, wed to the Earl Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga, and whose portrait was made by Umberto Brunelleschi.
The funiture set that we present here is a sumptuous testimony to the work of Stabilimen-
to d’Arti Decorative e Industriali, which knew how to exquisitely respond to an order of prestige. The presentation of this set is a great rediscovery for the history of Italian art of the second half of the nineteenth century, especially for an artist who was very famous in Venice at that time and that
the twentieth century has unfortunately forgotten. Yet the works of Michelangelo Guggenheim are of a rarely equalled quality, reaching the height of decorative art of the nineteenth century. He uses
his extensive knowledge of past styles, here, the Venetian sixteenth century. All these pieces were
conceived as a whole, a sum of elements that were dedicated to reviving an aristocratic Venetian home of the late Renaissance.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Period photograph of the Palazzo Papadopoli’s Louis XV Salon, decorated and furnished by M. Guggenheim
w w w . m a r c mPeriod a i s photograph o n . f r of
the Palazzo Papadopoli’s Louis XV Ballroom, decorated and furnished by M. Guggenheim
Period photograph of the Palazzo Papadopoli’s Louis XVI Salon, decorated and furnished by M. Guggenheim
Period photograph of the Palazzo Papadopoli’s Louis XIV Salon, decorated and furnished by M. Guggenheim
Sumptuous sculpted Credenza (Ref.03167)
Origin :
From the Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Salone delle Quattro Porte.
Between 1874 and 1881.
Dimensions :
Width 161cm (63’’) ; Height 200cm (78’’ 3/4) ; Depth 46cm (18’’).
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Credenza, original photograph by M. Guggenheim
This unique cabinet in two parts forms a cre-
panels alternating with three women depicted in
background decorated with three rectangular
ted wreath of acanthus leaves. Both panels are
denza in its lower part. The base consists of a
molded panels. The shelf rests on two armored
and winged lions sculpted in the round. Their
massive limbs are as impressive as their mouths, which seem to be more like dragons than those
of lions. The quality of the sculpture is evident in the representation of hairs, scales that cover their
chests and the extremely muscular necklines.
The upper part of the credenza consists of two
the bust and ending with a sheath and a sculpentirely sculpted: a fantasy architecture, inha-
bited by a bulging muscled putti supported by
two griffins, shelters a medallion sculpted with a trophy of arms. The two panels meet symmetrically while the backings of the piece are also decorated with sculpted panels with motifs of arms
trophies. The entablature has a frieze of festoons alternating with masks and encircled by shell
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
motifs. Each sculpted panel has a texturized bot-
craftsmanship and mass production? Some, like
motifs and plays with the light on the prominent
an alliance was possible, even necessary, between
tom, which increases the relief of the sculpted
parts. Each surface of this cabinet is covered with carvings, in a kind of horror of emptiness
that is typical of the 19th century interiors. The
shape, inspired by the two-pieced cabinets of the Renaissance, has an affirmed architectural structure associated with an abundance of sculp-
tures of dazzling skill. There is a real attention to woodworking, which offers stunning carved
designs through their quantity and quality of execution.
In the nineteenth century in Europe, produc-
tion of manufactured goods underwent an unpre-
cedented growth: the decorative arts become the ÂŤarts applied to industry.Âť Production of decorative arts in the second half of the nineteenth century faced dilemma: how to reconcile art with the
appearance, around 1850, of mechanization and
industrialization? How to reconcile traditional
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
the Guggenheim in Venice, were convinced that
art and industry. It was necessary to reflect on the ways to produce artworks of extraordinary
quality and that would still be able to profit from the possibilities offered by the evermore efficient technical means. In many factories, this was demonstrated by the collaboration between artists
and manufacturers. In Stabilimento d’Arti Decorative e Industriali, Guggenheim himself oc-
cupied all these positions: antiques buff, he had built a personal culture second to none and used
his library and his personal collection of artwork as a repertoire of designs that needed to by stu-
died and understood. This was characteristic of the time, which held the conviction that the renewal of decorative arts was inseparable from the
study of historical styles. The direct inspiration of these past decors shows a great passion for history, quite representative of Guggenheim.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Monumental Display cabinet (Ref.03172)
Origin :
From the Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Salone delle Quattro Porte.
Between 1874 and 1881.
Dimensions :
Width 210cm (82’’ 3/4) ; Height 346cm (136’’) ; Depth 62cm (24’’ 1/2).
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
This monumental display is composed of three windows, designed to exhibit fine china and other
sophisticated crockery, a custom revealed by the period photographs. The high society of the time collects objects of art and priceless tableware, and enjoys to show them to the guests while preserving
them in this precious and imposing case. A true ceremonial piece, this opulent display cabinet was
arranged in the reception hall that once was the Salone delle Quattro Porte in Palazzo Papadopoli. The smaller surface of this piece is pretext for an abundance of carvings that confirm the prestigious nature
of it. The numerous sculptures are the work of an extremely skilled sculptor. The vertical uprights are decorated with images of old sheathed bearded men. The sheath is the support for a foliage frieze that
ends with a scroll. The protruding cornice rests on corbels, representing a vocabulary of ornamental architecture. It supports four vases with lids and an armorial pediment flanked by two griffins and
crowned with a cardinal’s hat: it is a hat with a flat, wide-brimmed shape and from which hang large silk cords.
Between the cornice and the window, a carved frieze of festoons alternates with monsters. Shells are
arranged above the festoons.
The extreme quality of the sculpture and the much-sought decor is indicative of the work of an ex-
ceptional sculptor, whose mastery was unrivaled.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
The coat of arms on this display is the Aldobrandini’s, whose
most famous member was Pope Clement VIII, between 1592 and 1605. Having his nephews quickly appointed cardinal in order
to enlarge the Aldobrandini’s power, we owe this very Pope the
concept of « nepotism », « nepote » being the Italian for nephew.
The Aldobrandini, from Florence, increased their wealth during
the Middle Ages and adopted the coat of arms azure per bend em-
battled or and six stars or. Since 16th century it is framed with the
cardinals symbols, just like it is on this amazing display cabinet :
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
a broad brimmed hat with tassels, the galero. Agostino Caracci, brother
of considerable Anibal Caracci, designs this exact coat of arms for the cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini.
The Aldobrandini heraldy is sculped on many Italian buildings, it is for
example carved with the galero in the Aldobrandini Chapel of Raven-
na’s Duomo. Used by Clement VIII, it is often seen with the papal keys, like in Santa Maria Maggiore where his gravestone was designed by the illustrious sculptor Bernino, and on the coins minted with his blazon.
Agostino Caracci, Blazon of cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini, 1593-1594, the Genus Bononiae collection
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
A Considerable Mirror (Ref.03170)
Origin :
From the Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Salone delle Quattro Porte.
Between 1874 and 1881.
Dimensions :
Height 293cm (115’’) ; Width 162cm (63’’ 3/4).
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
This considerable mirror, over nine feet tall, uses the same deco-
rative collection as the side table and the monumental display. The carved wood frame has the same motifs: the uprights are hence
decorated with bearded sheathed men, whose long sleeves are de-
corated with acanthus leaves. One finds this same pattern on the uprights of the window. The representation of the body with ge-
nerous muscles demonstrates the skill of the sculptor. The upper part contains the identical entablature of the credenza with a frieze of festoons topped with shells alternating with masks of fantastic creatures. As on the credenza, a projecting cornice rests on carved modillions.
Here again we see how an overall design directed the production
of this furniture, where each piece contains a decorative element of The Papadopoli coat of arms
on the Palazzo Papadopoli front
another while enriching it.
This mirror bears the Papadopoli family’s coat of arms, a radiant
sun above a phoenix, topped by a crown. The Papadopoli had this blazon sculpted on their various properties, the Palazzo Papadopoli in Venice, but also the Villa Papadopoli in Smergoncino.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
A winged-lions Side Table (Ref.03166)
Origin :
From the Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Salone delle Quattro Porte.
Between 1874 and 1881.
Dimensions :
Height 96,5cm (38’’) ; Width 152,5cm (60’’) ; Depth 63,5cm (25’’).
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
This superb side table identically replicates the lower part of the cabinet forming a credenza coming
from the same set.
The base consists of a background decorated with three rectangular molded panels. Their framing is
composed of several moldings in relief, one which supports the display of a decorative foliage frieze:
stylized flowers, composed of two leaves and a flowering stem, coming to rest there. The shelf rests
on two armored and winged lions carved in the round. Their massive limbs are as impressive as their mouths. They are the result of an exceptional work of sculpture, rarely equaled. Each surface is the pretext for an abundance of carvings and ornaments. The quality of the sculpture is particularly noticeable in the representation of hairs and scales that cover their chests and extremely muscular
necklines. One can thus observe each feather forming the wing, with the representation of the spine as the central stem of the feather. Each whisker of the plumage is visible, proving once again the
delicacy of the sculpture. Similarly, the hairs are delicately represented, almost akin to the work of chiseling.
The lions rest on a shelf fully supported by very large ball feet carved with an egg and dart frieze. The
rounded edge of the shelf is protruding and is again the support of the sculpted frieze. Plant motifs
are enrolled in medallions and corners are occupied by acanthus leaves. The edge of the upper shelf is
made in the same manner. However, it is only slightly curved and the carved frieze that unfolds is a series of interlacing.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
The Table (Ref.03165)
Origin :
From the Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Salone delle Quattro Porte.
Between 1874 and 1881.
Dimensions :
Height 88cm (34’’ 1/2) ; Width 150cm (59’’) ; Depth 80cm (31’’ 1/2).
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Also presented in the Salone delle Quattro Porte, this table was made in the same style as the other
pieces, that is to say respecting the style of sixteenth century Venice. It is made of carved wood and the shelf, in Red Levanto marble, is embedded in the wood, considerably enriching the whole. Again, this is a real showpiece for the quality and fineness of the sculpture. All four legs are connected by a
X-shaped spacer whose center shows a sculpture in the round of a lidded vase with satire heads. The pedestal, delicately fluted, echoes the lower part of the body of the vase that is fluted. Above, a frieze
of interlaced foliage is set against a texturized background. This background, produced thanks to a
special hammer with small spikes called a bush hammer, does not catch the light in the same way as the smoother parts of the wood. In this way one can perceive the extreme attention given to this
sculpture. The vase is topped by a cover whose primary element is a blooming flower. The cover is in turn covered with scales. The handles, in their upper parts appear to be true plants.
The four feet balusters are also a very nice quality. Based on a round foot, their central part is repre-
sented by a kind of vase mounted on a pedestal. These elements are delicately carved with festoons and monsters: Pan heads are connected by interlaced ribbons. Again, the bottom is textured, keeping the
attention and the light on the carved elements on the smooth surface. The four feet are completed in their upper part by elements winding on themselves and carved with interlacing.
The shelf rests on modillions, an architectural element that is normally used to support the cornices.
The modillion differs from the corbel because it is a sculpted part. Here they are covered with acan-
thus leaves ending in a coil. On the recesses, the masks of bearded men are displayed on winding leather motifs.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Two armchairs and fours chairs (Ref.03168)
Origin :
From the Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Salone delle Quattro Porte.
Between 1874 and 1881.
Dimensions :
Armchairs - Height 107cm (42’’) ; Width 63cm (24’’ 3/4) ; Depth 61cm (24’’).
Chairs - Height 99cm (39’’) ; Width 50cm (19’’ 1/2) ; Depth 43cm (17’’).
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
The armchairs and the chairs of this set are designed after the same model. The base is made of four
legs resting on round feet. The two front feet are tapered and fluted in their middle part, similar to
columns. The architectural language is here converted into an ornamental theme. The two back legs are from a square section. The feet are connected to each other by a spacer in the shape of an H, de-
corated in its center with an image of acanthus leaves. The frame of the seat is carved from a frieze of
small flowers taking place in polylobed containers. The main surface is decorated with a plant motif hanging from this frame. In the center of this motif is a crown of a duke.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
The uprights of the back are represented in an identical manner on all the chairs. The upper
part shows the busts of sheathed women carved in very high relief and ending with an acanthus
leaf. They rest on a console which again depicts the crown of the duke. The handles of the two chairs are a beautiful work of sculpture, notably through the back attachment where a winding acanthus leaf is represented. The grips protrude from the arms and show the heads women with extravagantly made up hair.
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Period photograph of the Palazzo Papadopoli’s Salone delle Quattro Porte
Period photograph of the Palazzo Papadopoli’s Salone delle Quattro Porte
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
A set of three Stands (Ref.03169)
Origin :
From the Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Salone delle Quattro Porte.
Between 1874 and 1881.
Dimensions :
Height 122cm (48’’) ; Width 30cm (11’’ 3/4) ; Depth 27,5cm (11’’ 1/4).
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
These three identical stands are made from the
same solid body, tapered towards the bottom, which rests on a square base. Their main sur-
face is a broadly sculpted panel. Foliage, weaving
and floral trophies are sculpted in low relief on a textured background. In the middle is an egg-
shaped element with decorative edges which
shows a mask set against a motif of wrapped leather. This head is issued from the collection of
Renaissance and 16th century grotesque motifs. The sides of the stands are decorated with a molding enlivened with floral motifs.
In the ancient photographs that we show you
above, we see perfectly well these stands in place,
in the Salone delle Quattro Porte of Palazzo Papadopoli. From one side of the room, they are situated on each side of the huge ceremonial display cabinet. They serve here to support large
sculpted busts. From the other side of the room, they support vases with handles and are placed around the fireplace. The presentation of these photographs is completely unedited and exceptional.
We would like to thank, Our team : Anaïs, Andrei, Cécile, Christophe, Corinne, David, Eric, Luc, Mélissa, Michel-Janulz, Michaël, Mika, Romain, Tchin, Pierre-Yves and Richard Picquenot for their support and friendship, Didier and Agnes Travert for their advising and their friendship. Our sons Félix and Mathurin. The exhibition staging was entrusted to Michael Coorengel / Coorengel-Calvagrac. The documentary research and the writing of this catalog were taken care of by Anaïs Faverie assisted by Mélissa Perianez. Graphics design and conception of the brochure by Michaël Delongeas. Furniture photography by Luc Jacquin Webmaster : Raphaële Giordan @CakeFolio Music : Julien Doré, Vitalic and Birdy NamNam We dedicate this catalog to the rue des Rosiers and to the city of Saint-Ouen sur Seine. Marc et Daisy Maison
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
w w w . m a r c m a i s o n . f r
Galerie Marc Maison Cambo Le MarchĂŠ 75 rue des Rosiers, Flea Market of Paris, Saint Ouen Sur Seine (93400) Phone : +33 (0)6 60 62 61 90