Description
This very beautiful table of “classical” composition and structure belongs to the stylistic trend that was born in Ile-de-France and Val-de-Loire in reaction to the ultramontane style that was then predominant in other regions. It is enriched with a profuse decoration spread over all the surfaces
Two fluted columns rise from two thick skids, decorated with scrolls and cherubs’ heads, and joined by a wide crosspiece. The latter are flanked by two winged chimeras whose faces, with hooked noses and open mouths, are extremely expressive. Between the columns is a finely executed winged cherub head.
The belt, moulded in doucine and sculpted with palmettes, supports the top.
From the cross piece that connects the runners, three more balusters rise, joined by semi-circular arches.
The rigour of the composition, the balance of the masses and the scrupulous use of antique art attest to the fact that this table is a French creation from the second half of the 16th century.
The table with a fixed support was rare in the Middle Ages, with the exception of the monastery or guardroom table with a solid top supported by permanently assembled vertical posts. The medieval table generally consisted of a free-standing top that could be placed on flying trestles.
The first tables made up of two legs connected by a crosspiece and covered with sculptures first appeared in Italy, where they were inspired by the ancient cartibulum. In France, artists and cabinetmakers took up this ultramontane model and reinterpreted it to and reinterpreted it to suit French taste. The fan-shaped, caryatid, columned or balustered supports were adorned with sculptures, making them particularly decorative. They then became real luxury objects and aroused great interest.
The table then lent itself to the multiple variations created by the vision of the master ornamentalists. Jacques Androuet du Cerceau produced several drawings of porticoed or fan-shaped tables, although he was not the inventor.
Bibliography :
Jacques THIRION, Mobilier Moyen-âge et de la Renaissance en France, Editions Faton, 1999.