Chased and gilt bronze; lapis lazuli; gouache on vellum.
H. 62 cm. (24 ½ in.); W. 40 cm. (15 ¾ in.); W. 13 cm. (5 ¼ in.).
PROVENANCE: private collection.
A masterpiece of gilt bronze art in 18th century Rome, this stoup, dated circa 1760, is attributed to Luigi Valadier (1726-1785), who probably was the most inventive Roman goldsmith and bronzesmith of the second half of the century.
Luigi Valadier was born in Rome, where he spent all his life, on February 26, 1726, to French parents originally from the south of France. At once a designer, goldsmith and founder, this extraordinary artisan-artist worked with a remarkable dexterity with a large range of materials, combining silver, bronze, precious stones, enamel, wood and glass, to create artworks which dazzled all of Europe.
