A Report - First Draft.
Francois I – A Tortoise Shell Relief.
In a Turned
Balleen (Whalebone) Frame.
The quality is very fine.
Diameter of the relief - 10.5 cms.
Outside Diameter of the frame – 13 cms.
The origin
of this relief is not yet entirely clear – it resembles the work of the
Huguenot émigré Jean Obrisset who was working in England from c 1680 – 1731 (examples
below) - although given the subject matter it could be by his father Jean (d’) Aubrisset
of Dieppe - but another and perhaps more compelling candidate for this work is the Italian artist Thomas
Compigné, Tabletier Privilégié of Louis XV who was working in France from about
1750 and used gold leaf on tortoiseshell (see further examples below) who used the bronze relief by Benedetto Ramelli.
……………….
A Bronze Relief of Francois I with Paris
Dealers Ratton Ladriere.
Dated 1537.
A
very fine cast with punched decoration representing the embroidery.
Diameter
11.5 cm without the Ring.
This
is the closest equivalent to the Tortoiseshell Relief with only minor
differences, apart from the inclusion of the lettering on the bronze.
https://www.ratton-ladriere.com/en/works-of-art.html
This relief is
taken on a model that was commissioned from Benedetto
Ramelli by Francois Ist during his stay in Lyon in 1537. Ramelli, was a
native of Ferrara who settled in France and worked for the Royal Court, as well
as for the Navaran kings in Pau (cf. marble vase inlaid with silver, Pau, ca.
1550, Paris, Louvre).
Benedetto
Ramelli was a native of Ferrara, Damascener, Embosser and Engraver in precious
stones, who worked also at Paris, and resided circ. 1530-1535 at Lyons. In 1538
he executed the Portrait-medallion of Francis I, King of France; it is
described by Rondot: Franciscvs-i.d.g. francor. rex. 1537 (size: 124 mm.).
Ramelli was paid 300 Livres tournois for this work. There are various modified
versions, of this medal.
After
Francis I.’s death, casts were made, which were inscribed P : AMSTERDAM :
CANTOR: REGIVS : FACIEBAT. and changing the date into 1547.
A specimen
is in the Munich Cabinet? As yet no image available.
Bibliography.
— Rondot, Medailleun Lyonnais. — Rondot et De La Tour.
The Ratton
Ladriere medal is possibly a cast from the same mould as the1537 relief in
gold, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (info website of Messrs
Ratton Ladriere).
Another
version of the sixteenth century, and with a relief just one side, as the
Ratton Ladrier is in the collections of the Petit-Palais museum in Paris (inv.
ODUT 1382).
A third
cast, a little larger (12.6 cm diameter), with polychromy, was auctioned in
Lyon 22/11/ 2014 (Etude de Baecque).
Currently no
images available of these three medallions.
……………………..
Another Lesser Quality version of the Ratton
Ladriere Bronze and the Tortoise Shell Relief.
The quality of this bronze cast
is less fine and it has not been chiselled or punched. There are variations in
the detail of the brim of the hat.
Diameter 11.95 cms.
Image courtesy https://numismatica-italiana.lamoneta.it/riepilogo/W-ME39O
………………………….
The Toulouse Silver
Medallion.
Dated 1537.
Musée Paul-Dupuy à Toulouse. France
No size given.
Presumably the same size (Diam. 13.5
cm) as the bronze version of it - illustrated immediately below –
It lacks the
fine quality finishing of the Ratton – Ladriere bronze illustrated above - the
detailing of the hat and the plume of (in this case) three feathers and the
necklace is quite different.
………………………
A Bronze version (with minor
differences) of the Silver Rondel.
with the Musee des Beaux Arts Lyon.
No size given.
…………………………….
Another Bronze Version of the Silver Medallion at the Musée
Paul-Dupuy à Toulouse.
Approx Diam. 13.5 cms.
Sold by
Weschler’s Auctions, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
Lot 139 – 2nd March 2021.
https://www.weschlers.com/auction-lot/bronze-bas-relief-medallion-of-king-francis-i-of_99742E8BA5
……………………
Another bronze version of the Toulouse Silver Medallion of Francois I –
Size 13.4 cms
Image
from https://numismatica-italiana.lamoneta.it/riepilogo/W-ME39O
………………..
The Louvre Bronze Relief of Francois I –
Diam 12.2 cms.
https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010106968
The
only image currently available - very low resolution
……………………………………………
The British Museum Version.
Bronze - this is perhaps a version of the 1544 Amsterdam Cast.
Dated 1544.
Diam 11.2 cms.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_M-2171
…………………………….
A Lead Medallion (Ratton Ladriere type).
Given the material this could be a
much later cast - Diameter12.75 cm.
Dated 1737.
Musee de Beaux Arts Lyon.
https://collections.mba-lyon.fr/fr/notice/medfr16-francois-ier-0b8345a7-57b6-4b0e-8508-631532bcd3af
……………………………..
François Ier,
Medallion poss. by Ramelli, 1537.
c. 1537, old lead cast.
Lyon or Paris
Lead Diameter: 120 mm.
Unsigned, but attributed to Ramelli, an artist from Ferrara,
was paid in 1538 for a portrait of the King, according to Natalis Rondot.
……………………
Of tangential interest -
A much smaller version is in the Metropolitan
Museum New York.
Diameter 4.33 cms.
Cast by Ludwig Neufahrer (German,
Linz (?) ca. 1500–1563 Prague).
This version is much
closer to an original portrait by Clouet in particular the detail of the shirt
……………………..
Another version of the
Metropolitan Museum medal illustrated above is in the National Gallery of Art.
Washington, USA.
Silver. 4.33 cms Diameter.
https://www.nga.gov/artworks/45269-francois-i-1494-1547-king-france-1515-obverse
…………………….
The engraved portrait.
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/1 2148/btv1b8402416x.item#
Francois I by Jean Clouet
Oil on Panel.
Louvre, Paris.
https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010062204
Here is probably not the place to go to deeply into the numerous portraits of Francois I.
………………………………….
Of tangential interest –
A Bronze Relief of Francois I in the Samuel H Kress
Collection. Nat Gallery of Art, New York.
Diam. 3.97 cm
See also - https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_G3-FrM-74
Another similar - diam 3.8 cms - attributed to Giovanni
Maria Pomedelli.
……………………..
Thomas Compigné, Tabletier Privilégié of Louis XV.
Arriving
from Ferrara, Italy, probably around 1750, Thomas Compigni took the name
Compigné when he settled under the sign of Roi David, Rue Greneta, in Paris. As
an ivory turner, he specialised in the manufacture and sale of boxes, knitting
sets, draughts and chess sets, snuffboxes and other cane handles of blond
tortoiseshell inlaid with gold. Renowned for the quality of his objects, he
passed on to posterity through the production of precious paintings whose
technique remains mysterious today.
In 1773, he
presented two views of the Château de Saint-Hubert to the King and obtained the
title of “Tabletier Privilégié du Roi ” under Louis XV and Louis XVI. His
favourite subjects were mostly view of towns, monuments and chateaux from the
perspective of parks and landscapes animated with small figures.
He passed on
his methods to his student Charles-Louis Chevalier who was received as a master
in 1776.
Bibliography -
Plaisir de
France, « Les Compignés et leurs créateurs, ces délicats chefs-d’œuvre de la
tabletterie au XVIIIe siècle », n° 427, mars 1975.
Compigné,
peintre et tabletier du Roy, exhibition catalogue, Grasse, Villa-Musée
Jean-Honoré Fragonard (Juin-Juillet 1991).
……………..
A Gilded Tortoise Shell Relief.
Probably made to
celebrate the election of Pope Clement XIV (1769 – 1774).
Here suggested as by Thomas Compigné.
……………………….
Another anonymous Gilt Tortoiseshell Relief in the Metropolitan
Museum, New York.
Size 8.9 cms
Here suggested as by Thomas Compigné.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/199826
………………….
A Relief of a View in Rome.
by Thomas Compigné.
9.5 cms
Gilded Tortoise shell.
https://www.anticstore.art/96711P
see also - https://www.anticstore.com/medaillon-compigne-representant-scene-village-arboree-86202P
It would be
very useful to know the material used for the frame.
…………………………
An Oval Silver Tobacco Box with Base and Lid of Tortoiseshell
In the Royal Collection.
Overall, 7.7 cms.
The lid pressed with a portrait bust of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, in profile to the right, wearing a long, curled wig, armour and Great George (badge of the Order of the Garter), signed O.B. under the shoulder for the Huguenot carver and modeller Jean Obrisset (active in England1680’s -28).
………………………..
Another silver box with a profile portrait
relief of Queen Anne.
Dated 1705.
Max dimension 7.9 cms.
in the Metropolitan Museum, New York.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/193830
............................
A
Silver Box with a Tortoiseshell relief of Charles I.
Inscribed on the left side O.B.
A Tortoiseshell Relief on a later box from
dealer M. Ford Creech.
The scene is
after the painting by Charles Le Brun, 'The Queens of Persia at the Feet
Alexander'
or 'Tent of
Darius', 1661 - and most likely from the 1702 engraving of the same by Gérard
Édelinck, issued as the frontispiece to William Parsons's' 'The Tent of Darius'
explain'd after André Félibien
Image from -
…………………….
Conclusions –
On balance the sculpture of the Tortoise shell Relief of Francois I appears to be closer to the late 18th century works of Thomas Compigné – in particular it is similar in style to the framed, gilded tortoise shell view of Rome (illustrated above), than to the works of Jean Obrisset.
The father
of Jean Obrisset Jean (d’) Aubrisset of Dieppe is perhaps another candidate.
There are similar
circular gilded bronze reliefs on the furniture of Boulle which might be
related.
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