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Lot Essay
One of the chief proponents of the late 19th century Italian Renaissance revival, Luigi Frullini was described as the ‘Donatello of woodcarvers’ (H. Zimmerman, ‘Luigi Frullini’, The Magazine of Art, 1898, p. 279). The present pair of chairs is testament to his skill and typifies the renewed interest in both the Renaissance and the Antique source material that emerged at this time. On completing his studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti in his native Florence, Frullini joined the workshop of Angiolo Barbetti, which proved extremely important in shaping his future career, as Barbetti’s workshop furnished the interiors to some of the richest European clientele. After five years, Frullini left to found his own atelier in the via Santa Caterina, where he dedicated his efforts to reviving the art of wood-carving.
Frullini’s work was intimately linked with the nineteenth century penchant for historicism and is an example of Neo-Renaissance style at its best. However, he was also very drawn to the Stile Liberty, as evidenced by his close study of the natural world and meticulously scientific reproductions of flowers and animals in many of his designs.
The present pair of chairs is almost identical to a model in a Florentine collection (fig. 1, circa 1875), but differs in various interesting ways. Where the Florentine model utilises Frullini’s naturalistic interest in the rams’ heads to the top of each upright, the model here is more whimsical, looking back to the antique models of satyrs. Similarly, the lifelike cloven hooves of the Florentine model are replaced with more stylised versions in the present lot. The graceful curves of the X-frame and the elegant cross-pawed griffins in both models are testament to Frullini’s famed dexterity and exemplify the reason for his global popularity.
Similarly to Michelangelo, Frullini habitually worked without tracing the overall design onto his block first. This allowed for wonderful fluidity and imaginative flair seen in his works, such as the Dance of the Hours, for which the French government awarded him the Legion d’Honneur. He went on to win many other awards, including medals at the 1862 International Exhibition in London and two further awards at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 and later in 1878. Today, his works can be seen in museums including the Musée d’Orsay, Paris; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
Frullini’s work was intimately linked with the nineteenth century penchant for historicism and is an example of Neo-Renaissance style at its best. However, he was also very drawn to the Stile Liberty, as evidenced by his close study of the natural world and meticulously scientific reproductions of flowers and animals in many of his designs.
The present pair of chairs is almost identical to a model in a Florentine collection (fig. 1, circa 1875), but differs in various interesting ways. Where the Florentine model utilises Frullini’s naturalistic interest in the rams’ heads to the top of each upright, the model here is more whimsical, looking back to the antique models of satyrs. Similarly, the lifelike cloven hooves of the Florentine model are replaced with more stylised versions in the present lot. The graceful curves of the X-frame and the elegant cross-pawed griffins in both models are testament to Frullini’s famed dexterity and exemplify the reason for his global popularity.
Similarly to Michelangelo, Frullini habitually worked without tracing the overall design onto his block first. This allowed for wonderful fluidity and imaginative flair seen in his works, such as the Dance of the Hours, for which the French government awarded him the Legion d’Honneur. He went on to win many other awards, including medals at the 1862 International Exhibition in London and two further awards at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 and later in 1878. Today, his works can be seen in museums including the Musée d’Orsay, Paris; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.