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Contents of Courtown House & Stud April 22
nd
2015
57
DEL VECCHIO
This pair of elegant Roman inspired torcheres retain the 18th Century fascination for neo-clas-
sicism where the anthenienne altars of the vestals and nature divinities were adapted for
domestic use by Robert Adam and others. Artists such as Angelika Kaufmann delighted in their
satisfying geometric decorative possibilities.
The attribution to Del Vecchio is based on the existence of another pair, currently on the US
art market, which are patently the others, of a set of four, to the present lot, and given to Del
Vecchio.
The lighter, more Continental feel to these examples does point to a non-English source. The
Del Vecchio family, carvers and gilders, settled in Dublin from Italy in the early 19th Century
and produced an extraordinary quantity of gilded mirrors, console tables and such like. In the
1820’s James Del Vecchio, junior, issued his trade card from 68 Dame Street (late of 17 Lower
Abbey Street) advertising a range of carved, gilded and gessoed items.
101
An Important PAIR OF Irish regency NEO-CLASSICAL GILT-
WOOD TORCHERES,
Attributed to
Del Vecchio, Dublin,
in the style of Robert Adam, in the form of triform braziers of antiquity with
acanthus neck eagle heads, gathered, and raised on talon feet, above a central leaf
wrapped stem, on concave triangular bases set with rosettes, on later bun feet.
Each 144cm high, 56cm wide
€20,000 - 30,000