London, 18th Century

Screen decorated with "Chinoiseries" composed of four leather leaves with a chiseled, gilded and painted background richly decorated with reserves decorated with fruit bowls, baskets and bouquets of flowers in stylized vases. They frame a central landscape composed of flowering shrubs animated by birds and a butterfly. English work from the 18th century. Height: 201 cm / total width: 234.8 cm (width of a leaf: 58.7 cm) (dirt, tears and snags) Created in the Middle Ages in the region of Cordoba, the manufacture of gilded leathers developed in Spain in the 16th century. Appreciated and sought after by the aristocracy and European courts, they found their place in the most beautiful interiors in the form of hangings, screens, seat upholstery, etc. Due to this craze, workshops developed in many countries such as Italy, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and England in particular. While many types of ornaments and decorative themes appeared, the influence and fashion of the various works imported from the Far East led artists to create decorations directly inspired by Chinese productions. It was probably at the beginning of the 17th century that the first workshops developed in England, mainly in London, in the area near Saint Paul's Cemetery where most London manufacturers settled permanently. In the 18th century, the artists, gathered within the "Painter Stainers' Company of London", continued the production of gilded leathers decorated with genre scenes, landscapes, new motifs as well as decorations inspired by imported works, textiles or wallpapers. Views of palaces animated by characters, abundantly flowered gardens populated with birds, monkeys… framed by wide borders decorated with reserves decorated with flower vases, baskets, bowls of flowers and fruits, utensils or stylized ornaments of the most beautiful decorative effect enjoyed immense success in different forms and decorations called "Chinoiseries". Evidence of this production is today preserved in European public or private collections. The four-leaf screen presented probably comes from a London workshop. It is to be compared to a copy from the first quarter of the 18th century. with six leaves (1.53 m. x 3.30 m.) kept at the Museu de l'Art de la Pell in Vic, Catalonia, as well as that kept in a private collection (England) with "chinoiseries" decoration called "romantic" (2.14 m. x 3.30 m.), rare copy marked with the initials TT and dated 1765 1. 1 - reproduced in "cuirs dorés, cuirs de Cordoue, un Art européen", Jean-Pierre Fournet, ed. Monelle Hayot, p. 205 and 209)