FRANCE, époque Louis XVI - Lot 12

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Lot n° 12
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Estimation :
2300 - 2800 EUR
FRANCE, époque Louis XVI - Lot 12
FRANCE, époque Louis XVI Antoine BOULLIER (1749-) began his apprenticeship with his father in Châteauroux, before continuing it in Paris, from 1767, while following drawing and sculpture courses at the Royal Free School of Drawing, of which he received the Grand Prix in 1774. He was admitted to the master's degree on December 16, 1775, with the support of his eminent senior colleague, Edme-Pierre BALZAC, and thanks to the financing of the Duke of CHAROST. He settles at the Pont au Change until 1786, then at rue Saint Honoré His production appears to be important and destined for the great families of the aristocracy and sovereigns, both French and European, and as far as America. He became ordinary goldsmith to the Duke of ORLÉANS and received orders from the Marquis de MARIGNY. He was subcontracted by his famous colleague Robert-Joseph AUGUSTE to make pieces, especially saltcellars, for the opulent service ordered by GEORGE III, Elector of Hanover and King of England, made between 1778 and 1780, and then for Count CREUTZ [Swedish Royal Collection]. In 1778, he executed for Count POTOCKI a toiletry set of twenty-three pieces. In 1781, he delivered various pieces for Empress Catherine II of Russia, including a pair of lion-headed terrines sold [Christie's, Geneva, circa 1990], which were later copied by the silversmith Berthold Schlepper in St. Petersburg. In 1786, he made another set, also known as a dressing table set, for Vladimir BOROSOVITCH, the general prince GALITZIN, and his wife Natalia Petrovna [Christie's, London, 7 June 2011, lot 206]. The ewer of the latter is similar in shape to the one shown above, but its decoration of rose scrolls is different. However, the friezes of rose branches decorating the basin and some of the pedestal pieces of this set are very close to that of our ewer. A gilt ewer, dated 1783, with the same decoration (shoulder band, ringed leg, pearls) and the same lid with rose fretwork, but with more elaborate ornamentation in relief and chasing, is preserved, with an unrelated basin, by the same silversmith, at the Clark Art Institute, Williamstown [Inv. 1955.67]. Still in 1786, Antoine BOULLEIR delivered pieces to the future president of the young United States, Thomas JEFFERSON, who appreciated in his production the balance between the design of his forms and the chased decorations. The Revolution slowed down his activity to the point where he retired as a farmer. Then he took up his scissors again with the First Empire, participating, in particular, as early as 1806, in the Exhibition of Industrial Products, and in 1810, in the creation of the Emperor NAPOLÉON I's tea service, alongside Martin-Guillaume BIENNAIS, by creating the famous tea fountain. His career slowed down with the return of the Bourbon family and seems to have ended in 1818. Few drawings of silversmiths' models have come down to us, however, a few by BOULLIER are known to us showing a mastered and balanced neo-classical style [Hôtel des Remparts, Toulouse, April 5, 2019, lots 51 and 52]. Our ewer has an export mark [aiguière] proving its departure from France, between 1782 and 1789, probably following its manufacture, unfortunately the absence of an import mark of the country of destination or of a coat of arms prevents us from knowing its final destination. With its return in France is inscribed to him the punch with the Crab, thus posterior to 1838.
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