PARIS - ÉPOQUE RÉGENCE CONSOLE "AUX DRAGONS" First... Lot 33

PARIS - ÉPOQUE RÉGENCE CONSOLE "AUX DRAGONS" First third of the 18th century Gilded wood, red marble from Flanders H. 83 cm, W. 163 cm, D. 65 cm Small missing parts This gilded wood console is richly carved, it has a wide belt centered with a cartouche framed with scrolls and acanthus leaves. Running the entire length and extending harmoniously to the base. This one is arched, decorated with foliage, acanthus and two coiled dragons. The spacer has a large openwork shell. A red Flemish marble top with a grooved red marble throat caps the set. Intended to be fixed against the woodwork, the "console table legs" as they were then called, allowed the carpenters, with their more pronounced cambered shapes than those of the tables, to express themselves in an area conducive to the exaltation of fanciful forms, The Regency period saw the development of the "rocailles" (rock gardens) and the "rocailles" (rock gardens) that flourished under the Regency, under the impetus of ornamentalist Nicolas Pineau (1684-1754), who, through the publication of his studies and drawings, enabled many artists to build up an ornamental repertoire that was as varied as it was original. Iconographically, our console is a perfect illustration of what artists in the 1720s and 1730s were able to achieve with a diversified ornamental repertoire combined with a thoughtful use of openings and a clever mix of curves and counter-curves that give the piece of furniture a lightness quite characteristic of the achievements of this period.