Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751–1843) a French sculptor, was the most prominent bronzier , or producer of ornamental patinated and gilt-bronze objects and furniture mounts of the First French Empire . His fashionable neoclassical and Empire style furnishing bronzes ( bronzes d'ameublement ) established the highest standard in refined finish in the craft that the French called that of the fondeur-ciseleur , "founder-finisher". In his pre-Revolutionary training, Thomire appeared first as a ciseleur , in the division of duties that went into the production, for example, of a set of gilt-bronze wall-lights delivered for Marie-Antoinette's card-room, her Salon des Jeux at Compiègne : under the general supervision of Hauré, the wax and wooden model was carved by Martin, cast by Forestier, and chased by Thomire, as Pierre Verlet was able to show over fifty years ago.
22-458: Collection of artworks [REDACTED] Sale catalogue, 1880 The Demidov collection was a collection of artworks gathered by the Russian industrialist Count Nikolay Nikitich Demidov and considerably expanded by his second son Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov, 1st Prince of San Donato . It was mainly on show at their Villa San Donato near Florence , in which
44-591: A Hereditary Commander of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem , and member of the privy council. In 1819 he was made Russian ambassador to the court of Tuscany . After divorcing his wife, who moved back to France, he lived his last years in France and Italy among scholars, financing the creation of schools, hospitals and other charitable institutions in Tuscany. He bought 42 acres (170,000 m ) of marshland north of Florence from
66-573: A famous collection of weapons now in the Wallace Collection in London . His collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures is now at the Hermitage Museum . By decree of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany , on 23 February 1827 Demidov was made "Count of San Donato" for the services he had rendered to Tuscany by setting up a silk factory. He had built a home for the elderly and orphans and donated
88-708: A loan that was extended to Thomire in 1807 and which he was unable to repay, which consequently passed into the Imperial collection in 1811. Under the Restauration, Thomire Duterme et Cie. retained the highest clientele, among them Monsieur, the King's brother, the duc de Berry , and as furnishers to the Garde Meuble de la Couronne, though elaborate measures were taken to rededicate Napoleonic allegories in bronze and ormolu with suitably Bourbon ones. In one, Thomire cast and finished
110-441: A martial allegory sculpted by Louis-Simon Boizot , who had provided draped caryatid models for furniture mounts that were touched up by Thomire, applied to the upper corners of a secretary desk by Guillaume Beneman , delivered for the King's cabinet intérieure at Compiègne, 1787. In a notable commission for Count Nicolay Demidoff in 1819, Thomire produced finely-made figures of Fame with doubled trumpets to serve as handles for
132-502: A memorandum delivered by Thomire, who was responsible for modelling in wax, casting, matte gilding and mounting on the porcelain. In 1783–84 he received his first notable commission, casting and finishing the gilt-bronze handles modelled by Louis-Simon Boizot for a pair of Sèvres porcelain vases, today divided between the Musée du Louvre and Palazzo Pitti . Under the Empire, Thomire purchased
154-692: A private museum of 14 rooms was devoted to them. It was dispersed at sales in Paris in 1863 on 21 February and 3 March 1870 and at the Villa in March 1880. Objects [ edit ] Paintings [ edit ] Camille Corot , Orpheus . Eugène Delacroix , Christopher Columbus and his son at La Rábida , hst. 90.3 by 118 centimetres (35.6 in × 46.5 in), commissioned by Anatole, 1838. Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art . Paul Delaroche , The Execution of Lady Jane Grey , acquired by Anatole at
176-993: A special capital for its maintenance. The grateful citizens of Florence in honour of the donor named one of the squares, near the Demidov Charity House, Demidovskaya and placed on this square a statue of Nikolai Nikitich. A public Monument to Nicola Demidoff designed by Lorenzo Bartolini is located on "Piazza Demidoff" overlooking the river Arno in Oltrarno . In September 1795 in Saint Petersburg he married Baroness Yelizaveta Alexandrovna Stroganova ( Saint Petersburg , 5 February 1779 – Paris , 27 March 1818). By marrying her, Demidov further increased his already enormous wealth. They had four children: He also had one illegitimate daughter Natalie Wodimov (19 February 1819 - 6 April 1876 Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg). Pierre-Philippe Thomire He had received his training in
198-605: Is different from Wikidata Commons category link is on Wikidata Nikolay Nikitich Demidov Count Nikolai Nikitich Demidov (9 October / November 1773 Chirkovitsi village near Saint Petersburg – 22 April 1828) was a Russian industrialist, collector, military commander and arts patron of the Demidov family. The son of Nikita Akinfiyevich Demidov (1724–1786) and his third wife Alexandra Evtikhievna Safonova (1745-1778), Nikolai Demidov inherited his father's industrial empire aged only 15 and began to spend so recklessly that
220-585: The Empire style , malachite in a gilt bronze, 161.9 cm (63.7 in) high, commissioned by Nicolay. New York , Metropolitan Museum of Art . Clodion , Monumental urn , marble, 131.5 cm × 97.1 cm (51.8 in × 38.2 in), 1782, acquired by Anatole. Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art . Clodion, Monumental urn , marble, 132 cm × 97 cm (52 in × 38 in), 1782, acquired by Anatole. Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art. Arms and armour, now in
242-799: The Hôtel de Brancas-Lauragais, at the corner of Rue Taitbout and Boulevard des Italiens . However, rising Franco-Russian tensions forced his recall and they moved back to Russia via Italy, arriving in Russia in 1812. He fought with distinction in the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812) and at the start of the French invasion of Russia he financed the creation of an infantry regiment, including his son Pavel as one of its officers, which he then commanded against Napoleon's forces, fighting at Oravais and Borodino . Returning to Russia in 1806, Demidov, wanting to introduce all
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#1733085438017264-1078: The Wallace Collection in London, UK. The Polish coronation sword Szczerbiec . Sculptures [ edit ] Lorenzo Bartolini , La Table aux Amours , also known as the Demidov Table , marble, 137.2 cm × 162.6 cm (54.0 in × 64.0 in), commissioned by Anatole in 1845. New York , Metropolitan Museum of Art . Antonio Canova , Madame Mère , marble. References [ edit ] ^ Monumental vase lapidary work, early 19th century; pedestal and mounts by Pierre-Philippe Thomire, 1819. Sale catalog on archive.org External links [ edit ] [REDACTED] Media related to Demidov Collection at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Demidov_Collection&oldid=1249429631 " Categories : Former private collections Demidov family Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
286-1622: The 1834 Paris Salon . National Gallery, London 16th century German school, Portrait of a woman , hsp. 44.2 cm × 31.7 cm (17.4 in × 12.5 in), acquired by Nicolay. Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art . François Marius Granet , The Death of Poussin , acquired by Anatole in 1833. Hans Memling , The chalice of Saint John the Evangelist , hsp. 30.2 cm × 23 cm (11.9 in × 9.1 in), c. 1470–1475 , acquired by Nicolay. Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art . Hans Memling, Saint Veronica , hsp. 30.3 cm × 22.8 cm (11.9 in × 9.0 in), c. 1470–1475 , acquired by Nicolay. Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art . Rubens , Landscape with milkmaids and cows , c. 1616 . Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna . Gerard Terborch , The Peace of Munster , 1648. National Gallery, London (on long-term loan to Rijksmuseum , Amsterdam). Diego Velázquez , Philip IV . National Gallery, London . Jan Vermeer van Delft , The geographer , c. 1668 , acquired in 1872 by Paul Pavlovitch Demidov . [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Decorative arts [ edit ] [REDACTED] The Demidov Vase Pierre-Philippe Thomire , The Demidov Vase (1819), in
308-686: The Catholic Church and there built the Villa San Donato from 1827 to 1831, where he set up richly-decorated private rooms, a suite of 14 rooms housing his enormous art collection , a theatre and a foreign languages academy. That collection, reputed among the most lavish private collections in Europe, was divided between his residences in San Donato, Saint Petersburg, Paris and Moscow, included works by Flemish and Italian masters, decorative art objects and
330-555: The Ministry of Public Education. He also acclimatised Bordeaux and Champagne vines and Lucca olive trees to the Crimea , imported horses from England, Merino sheep from Switzerland, ordered Kholmogory cattle, Orenburg goats and Caucasian mountain horses, in addition, he made experiments in the cultivation of cotton and saffron . Nikolai Demidov served as chamberlain to the Emperor,
352-466: The exploitation of mines and raising his income to 5 million. At the Nizhny Tagil plant he founded a school in which, in addition to general education subjects, they also taught "the general principles of mechanics and practical mining art." This school, which gave the best craftsmen for the factories of Demidov and others, was transformed into a district school in 1839 and subordinated to the department of
374-407: The fashionable premises of the marchand-mercier Martin-Éloi Lignereux , for whom he had provided furnishing bronzes in rue Taitbout, Paris. When he exhibited in the 1806 Exposition Publique des Produits de l'Industrie, the first time a bronzier was permitted among the exhibiters, he gained a gold medal. His most prestigious commission was the execution of the cradle for the King of Rome, which
396-418: The government had to send in the receivers. He inherited the iron and coppersmelting plants of Nizhny Tagil, Nizhny Saldinsky, Verkhne-Saldinsky, Tšerno Istochensky, Visimo Utkinsky, Visimo Shaitansky, Laisky and Vyisky and with them also 11,550 serfs (souls). Nikolai entered the diplomatic service and the young couple moved to Paris, becoming ardent supporters of Napoleon I of France and setting up home in
418-459: The latest improvements in terms of technology at his factories, ordered Professor Ferry, then a famous expert in mining, from France, and put him 15,000 rubles a salary a year, a very significant amount for that time. Wishing to train experienced craftsmen for his factories, Demidov, at his own expense, sent more than a hundred serfs abroad to England, Sweden and Austria to study special branches of mining. In 1813 he gave his important collections to
440-530: The mineralogical museum of Moscow founded by his uncle Pavel Grigoryevich to replace those lost in the fire of the city, giving art collections to Moscow University in the same vein. He also financed the construction of four cast iron bridges in Saint Petersburg . With age, he also became a wiser industrialist, modernising his factories' infrastructure and doubling his fortune. He gave his home over to many industries and public utility services, perfecting
462-453: The workshop of Pierre Gouthière , the outstanding Parisian ciseleur-doreur working in the Louis XVI style, before establishing his own shop in 1776. He gradually assumed the leading position of his former master. In 1784 a pair of Sèvres vases with Raphaelesque grotesques in violet on a white ground, made in 1782 were mounted with gilt-bronze goats as handles, which Pierre Verlet recognized in
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#1733085438017484-403: Was designed by Pierre Paul Prud'hon and in which Thomire collaborated with the Imperial silversmith Odiot; in a second cradle, Thomire alone was responsible. At the height of his business, Niclausse estimated Thomire employed six or seven hundred workers. A great number of the bronzes by Thomire in the Imperial residences had been commissioned, but further bronzes were supplied as collateral for
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