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Visualize the interior views of the grand chateaux of Europe--the intricate and elaborately paneled rooms adorned with mirrors, paintings and gilded wood carvings. The bourgeoisie emulated the style of the courts in their own town homes on a lesser scale. The chateaux that exist intact today afford us a glimpse into the opulence of 17th, 18th and 19th century Europe. Artistry and workmanship of that time is unparalleled.
As time passed, tastes and fortunes changed. Parts of rooms were damaged by fire, revolution, flood, etc. Walls were removed to incorporate additions or some form of modernization. A revival of classicism dictated a paring down of interior decor and foreign influences were introduced. Some of these elaborate rooms were disassembled, in part or in whole, and offered for sale. One can still find these interiors in the markets of Europe and even in the United States. For a price, you can import an entire 18th century French salle and have it reassembled (with ceiling!) in your home. If you are not in the market for a room, you can enjoy the exquisite workmanship and sense of history by purchasing a boiserie panel (the French word bois meaning wood) which is actually a salvaged fragment of wall paneling.
Just as Americans have come to appreciate and market its architectural relics, so to have European dealers. Fragments of rooms are available as individual objets . Some are merely carved wood panels, while others frame paintings or surround mirrors. They are recognizable by the following: They are literally planks of wood approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick cut sharply. The edges have no decorative molding (unless applied at a later date). Because there was an adjacent repeat of the decoration which required its own bit of surround, the panels are usually cut closely to the ornamental area. Our inventory #18-9 is a perfect example.
The earlier panels were entirely carved wood, created just as meticulously as any frame of the same period; i.e., a superbly crafted frame, a coating of gesso to form the base for leafing, and finally the leaf. Our inventory #33-9 is an early 19th century panel of the trumeau style (mirror surmounted by decorative panel). Reflecting the Louis XV preoccupation with flowers, floral sprays abound--they decorate the opening, the upper panel and even overlap the mirror plate. Each leaf and flower reveals the mastery of the carver. The large scroll at the bottom was saved during demolition and a piece of wood was later added to give it support. The original gilt is discernible providing subtle animation.
Later panels, like our small French pair, are wood with applied plaster ornamentation, once again following the creative dictates of frame-makers. The panels (like the rooms) were painted and/or gilded.
We have one intact 18th c. Italian panel that has tongue and groove edges to marry strongly with its neighboring (and sadly missing) panels. It was possibly a doorway in that the fluted apron appears to be a later addition; however, the frame has been appropriately fit with split mirror plates. This particular panel was stripped at some point. Bits of gesso still cling to some pores. Now, its remarkable craftsmanship is revealed in all its glory.
If you are looking for a beautifully crafted piece of history, a boiserie panel may be for you.
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