Description
Rosewood table, inlaid with: walnut, rosewood, boxwood, maple, green-dyed maple, and other woods not correctly identifiable. The affixation on the most valuable furnishings of the cartouche "Maggiolini Intarsiatore delle LL. AA. RR. Parabiago presso Milano" (Maggiolini Inlayer of Their Royal Highnesses Parabiago near Milan), certifying a patent granted to him by Ferdinand of Habsburg. The archduke conferred upon him the title of "Inlayer of His Royal Highness," which we find as a signature in the form of a cartouche on very few pieces of furniture that have survived to this day.
From the inscriptions present on the work, it can be deduced that this is therefore one of the few examples of furnishings signed by the famous Milanese cabinetmaker who was engaged, throughout the last quarter of the 18th century, in the creation of elaborate furnishings for the court and Milanese aristocracy. The simple and elegant structure of the furniture is enriched by an inlay depicting a floral composition.
At that time in Milan, preparations were in full swing for the wedding celebration of Ferdinand, son of Empress Maria Theresa, archduke and governor of Lombardy, with Archduchess Maria Beatrice d'Este. It was the august mother's desire to prepare a worthy residence for him where splendor and wealth would be abundant. The task was entrusted to a commission including Count Monti and Melzi with Marquis Moriggia, who began to summon the most renowned artists, architects, painters, sculptors, stucco workers, and cabinetmakers to the court, including Maggiolini from Parabiago, who set to work with ardor. Envy almost stifled him from the outset. Maggiolini, good but firm because he was a man of character, thwarted it by leaving Milan with his team of 12 workers, only desiring the tranquil serenity of his hometown. But after the wedding festivities concluded in 1771, by order of the Empress again, restorations of the Court Palace were to be carried out under the direction of the famous architect Piermarini from Foligno, and even then, at the instigation of Moriggia or the painter Levati, Maggiolini was again called upon for the flooring. It was on this occasion that, through his painter friend, he became acquainted with a succession of artists who soon became colleagues and friends, and he was also able to meet and approach the Archduke himself and his consort, from whom he received acts of exquisite benevolence, including the conferment of the title "Inlayer of Their Royal Highnesses."
Dimensions
79.5cm x 79.5cm h:77cm
Provenance
Private collection
Bibliography
Marangoni G., Gli intarsi di Giuseppe Maggiolini, "Città di Milano", a. XXXIV, n. 3, Milan 1918, p. 54
Beretti G., González-Palacios A., Giuseppe Maggiolini. Catalogo ragionato dei disegni, Milan 2014, pp. 238-239
Condition
Defects and restorations. Drawer handle not original.
