Offered by Sylvie Lhermite-King
REQUEST INFORMATION
Works of art, silver, glass and furniture from 16th to 18th century
Thomas Compigné (after Canaletto)
Paris, circa 1760
15,5 x 19,2 cm
24,5 x 28,2 cm (avec cadre en bois doré)
Coming from Italy probably circa 1750, Tomaso Compigni settled in Paris and changed his name to Thomas Compigné. He ran his store, the "Roi David", in rue Greneta where he sold "boxes, backgammon, checkers and chess accessories, snuff boxes and cane knobs or landscape miniatures".
His specialty, however, was the making of small precious tin paintings using a technique he developed himself.
His paintings were made of a stamped tin plaque which is applied on cardboard or tortoiseshell. The tin is then decorated with gold, silver, gouache and colored varnishes.
These "miniatures", today known as "Compigné", were very successful in the 1760s. Their quality and the secret that surrounded them earned him the title of “tabletier prvilégié” of King Louis XV and Louis XVI.
