The Venetian piece of furniture has always been included in the elite of applied art. To the point that, today, Venetian pieces of furniture and furnishing accessories have a good market and an international clientele. However, in the second half of the past century it was a real status symbol inside the houses, it was a piece of furniture that could not be missed. The commode, the trumeau, the painted table, and the armchairs were necessary in a house furnished with 18th century’s taste. It was a fashion and furnishing style so popular to create imitations and, unfortunately, fakes too.
A mythological lineage
After all, the golden halo which surrounded the Venetian furniture can be grasped by the words of Morazzoni in the introduction to the 1926 edition of Il mobile veneziano of the ‘700: “if it is necessary that Marangoni, Depentori, Tappezzieri and all the creators that in Venice dedicate their manufactory to furniture, have a forefather and master, this would be the industrious Dedalus, actually, he surely was the one, and in every moment he always had a specific attention to his numerous Venetian lineage, after all always worthy of such a divine master; in the long course of the centuries the hard working hand is guided by a divine sparkle, which brightens and enlightens the works and renovates the with constantly growing grace and elegance”.
A Venetian salon in the imaginary
Kneeling to the divine lineage we can only add a little at this point if not agree and enjoy ourselves imagining entering an ideal Venetian salon. The central door allows us in a wide space brightened by two big windows. On the walls on the right there is an amazing and impressive trumeau moved on the front and on the sides with an extension with two mirrored doors decorated by figurines and on the cymatium a golden frieze with volutes.
Below the windows, two small benches, seemingly simple, have, if we look more carefully, the legs with carved volutes and golden highlighting. Among the benches and the trumeau there is a beautiful spinet in painted wood with red bottom and figurines in poor art.
On the wall on the left, a big console in walnut wood imposes itself with a moulded countertop and an engraved belt with cartouches and rocailles motives. Above the console, a wall mirror in carved and golden wood with volutes and with a small, moulded wall mirror in the cymatium.
On the entrance wall, on the sides of the door, two commodes, one completely in walnut briar-root, rounded on the front and moved on the sides and the other one in mahogany wood, simple and very refined. We imagine two paintings of Canaletto, above the commodes.
At the centre, a small living room set painted with small flowers on a yellow background: four chairs and a small couch with eight shaped backrest. Along the walls, golden appliques which illuminate with an impressive chandelier in Murano’s glass with leaves and small flowers. A great panorama! But before going out, we did not notice the two Moor sculptures with two glove boxes that welcomed us.
In case you wanted to replicate this scenery and Venetian furniture was your dream, we have all you need. Furniture, decorations, chandeliers, appliques and good taste.
