Description

Gilt Leather Wall Hanging
Dutch manufacture, second quarter of the 18th century (1735–1745)

This magnificent gilt leather wall hanging, dating from the second quarter of the 18th century, represents an outstanding expression of Dutch Rococo interior decoration. The complex composition is structured around a central rhomboidal cartouche which, through an illusionistic trompe-l'œil technique, transforms into a keyhole-shaped sculptural niche. The upper half of the panel is a riot of Rococo ornaments, featuring asymmetrical scrolls and foliage. Inside the niche, a rich garland of polychrome flowers forms a floral still life that detaches plastically from the background. The skill of the carver and painter dissolves the two-dimensionality, harmoniously blending the decorative foreground with the depth of the simulated architectural space. The precious surface is defined by a sumptuous combination of dominant colors: the brilliant gold of the background and the relief decorations, the sky blue of the cartouches, and the vibrant green of the floral garlands. The work embodies the pinnacle of gilt leather craftsmanship in the Netherlands, where technical refinement was combined with a bold and sophisticated decorative taste.

Examples of leather wall coverings with similar styles and subjects are preserved in prestigious museum institutions, including the Museum Plantijn-Moretus in Antwerp (Belgium) and Palazzo Colonna at Ara Coeli in Rome (Italy). Individual panels pertaining to this type can be found in the Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels (Belgium) (Inv. No. 5345/1), the Museum of Applied Arts at Pillnitz Palace in Dresden (Inv. No. 6868), the Deutsches Tapetenmuseum (German Wallpaper Museum) in Kassel (Inv. No. 28/28), and the Deutsches Ledermuseum (German Leather Museum) in Offenbach am Main (Germany) (Inv. No. 2400).

Period: 18th century, 1735–1745

Dimensions: 169 × 73 cm

Manufacture: Netherlands

Provenance: Private collection

Compare:

Simone Bergmans and Eloy Koldeweij, Gilt Leather Wall Hangings: An International History, p. 35 with illustration (for stylistic comparison with similar works).