Exceptional Louis XV period console table

Exceptional Louis XV period console table in carved and gilded linden

Paris, circa 1720
Dimensions: H. 88 x W. 150 x D. 75 cm

This wall bracket rests on four legs joined by a spacer. The top is a rare brown Languedoc marble, veined with red and grey. It is a work executed in carved and then gilded lime tree in Ile de France around 1750; at the height of the Louis XV style, the Rocaille period was characterized by very abundant, vigorous and openworked sculpture; new asymmetrical decorations were then added to the decorative repertoire inspired by plants.
This type of console is almost never signed. One must observe the quality of the sculpture and the balance of proportions to differentiate a small classical console from an exceptional work by a master carpenter-sculptor.
The uprights that form the feet are composed of powerful, yet elegant, opposing volutes. The belt is richly carved, and the abundance of openings keeps the lightness. Also, the very important spacer is perfectly balanced in relation to the whole.
This console has remained in the same family for over two centuries. This explains the remarkable condition of this piece, whose parts are negligible. The gilding is also in a rare state, the gilded parts being limited to use and maintenance restorations. As is often the case, the imposing dimensions of this console correlate with the exceptional character of this model. Most likely, it was an order from a very wealthy sponsor for a large house.