Lot n° 267
Estimation :
8000 - 12000
EUR
EMILIO TERRY (1890-1969)
Pair of low cupboard in veneer of rosewood, blackened wood and satin, inlaid in leaf, opening by two doors, fluted uprights of brass and rudenté.
Louis XIV style.
H. : 109 cm, W. : 201 cm, D. : 53,5 cm
Provenance :
- Probably José Maria Sert.
-Then Hôtel de Beistegui, rue de Constantine in Paris, large living room (Pierre Arizzoli-Clementel, " Groussay ", watercolors by Alexandre Sebriakoff. These lower cabinets topped in the 1950s, their bookcases with two wire doors, past sale at Christie's
-Robert de Balkany Collection, Sotheby's, sale September 28, 2016.
-Private collection.
It is probably and certainly Emilio Terry, great decorator, friend of José Maria Sert, then great friend and realizer of the orders of Charles de Bestegui, for his hotel of the street of Constantine then for his castle of Groussay.
Aesthete, talented decorator, Terry knew how to capture, understand and realize the wishes or requirements of Charles de Bestegui. The grand salon of the rue de Constantine, painted by Sébriakoff, reproduces, in a symmetry of the great century, these two base cabinets with their bookcases on either side of the fireplace. Famous, by its reproductions in several magazines, surmounted by trophies of arms with flags and armor plastron, it was one of the most successful realizations at that time. On this watercolor we can recognize the two lower cabinets of this sale, surmounted by the two upper bookshelves sold at Christie's, and currently kept in a private palace in Italy, the two globes, sold at the Groussay sale, the four statues of Roman emperors of the Balkani sale.
Emilio TERRY : Famous decorator, of Hispanic origin, whose family made its fortune in the sugar cane plantations. He spent part of his childhood at the Chenonceau castle that his family owned before the 1914 war. He had two sisters. One married Count Stanislas de Castellane, brother of the famous Boni, from whom he bought the castle of Rochecotte, former property of the Princess of Courlande, niece of Talleyrand. His other sister married Prince Charles de la Tour d'Auvergne-Lauraguais.
From 1935, he collaborated and worked with J.M. Frank, Bérard, Giacometti and Rodocanachi. He collaborated with the best craftsmen of his time, including Toulouze for the furniture of Groussay, notably for the gallery towards the theater. Let's not forget his creations for the Chanaleille hotel bought by Niarchos. His creations for Charles de Noailles, for Prince Rainier of Monaco, for the Beauveau Craon family at the Château d'Haroué and of course for his friend Charles de Besteigui. He had designed and created, among other things, the famous game table and its four lacquer chairs for Groussay, sold at Drouot in the 1980s and four mahogany chairs in the "Louis XVII" style with the figure of Charles de Besteigui for the small dining room of Groussay.
It is likely that this important and spectacular pair of Regency style bookcases, with two bodies, was composed or completed by him for the large living room of Charles de Besteigui's hotel on rue de Constantine. The top with two wire doors was modified in the plinth to make them independent from the bottom acquired by Robert de Balkany during numerous purchases from the Beistegui heirs. It is at this time that the tops of our bottom of cupboard were replaced by the current tray, transforming them, thus in bottom of cupboard.
José Maria SERT : Very famous painter in his time, he is of Spanish origin and settled in Paris around 1900 in a former workshop of Horace Vernet. He worked and decorated the salons of friends of Parisian high society, including the Countess of Béhague and the Princess of Polignac. He was bound to meet Charles de Beistégui. He made an important encounter in 1908 with Misia Godebska, his future wife, queen of Paris and of the famous Revue de Paris. She opened the doors of Paris to him. She was a friend of Coco Chanel, Cocteau, Diaghilev, Radiguet, Ravel, Stravinsky... In his hotel, he had collected many pieces from the time of Louis XIV, some of which were later acquired by Hubert de Givenchy.
Charles de BEISTEGUI : Of Basque origin, grandson of a silver mine owner in Mexico, he inherited a very important fortune, and had the good taste to take care of it pleasantly, which is called talent. From the realization of his apartment in the Champs Elysees (avant-garde) by Le Corbusier, to his Parisian hotel in the rue de Constantine and his castle in Groussay, not forgetting the Labia palace in Venice, he is one of the greatest connoisseurs, in the true sense of the word, of the XXth century, a mine for antique dealers.
Very close to Emilio Terry, he will order furniture, entirely new, according to the old styles and improve others, if not transform them. Little does it matter to him the modi
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