A pair of Italian painted and parcel-gilt benches, Lombardy, late 18th century, after a model by Michelangelo Pergolesi (1760-1801)

The design of this pair of benches closely relates to designs published by Michelangelo Pergolesi (circa 1760 – 1801), a noted designer of decorative ornament who was active in Italy and in England and employed by Robert Adam. Pergolesi published his series entitled Designs for Various Ornaments, in fourteen parts between 1777 and 1801; this series included designs for urns, metalwork, furniture and ceiling decoration.

Although the overall design of the present benches is positively unique, similarly carved and lacquered elements are found in Piedmont, Lombardy and Naples. These benches call to mind two of the most memorable settings of the Neoclassical Chinoiserie: the interiors of Villa Favorita in Ercolano, Naples, designed by the Florentine architect Ferdinando Fuga (1762-1768) and those of Villa Ghirlanda Silva at Cinisello Balsamo, Milan, designed by Agostino Gerli and Giuseppe Letavi. Pergolesi’s design were greatly influenced by the grotesques of Raphael and by Etruscan models, and often included filigreed creations employing fanciful animals, figures and architectural elements similar to those present in these benches.

Similar pieces with the same unique decorative flair can be found in many of the most important institutions in the world, for example:

The Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York holds a chair modelled on Pergolesi;

A pair of settees and chairs preserved at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota;

A console table preserved at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

A console was sold at Sotheby's Paris, Paris-Rome une alliance artistique, 15 September 2017, lot 32.

Michelangelo Pergolesi (1760-1801)

Although his life is shrouded in mystery, Michelangelo Pergolesi is known as one of the chief assistants to the Adam bothers, who invited him to work in London after he met Robert Adam in Italy. Pergolesi arrived in London in 1770, and in 1771, started publishing several design albums that served both as manuals for cabinetmakers, as well as inspirational sources for international connoisseurs and patrons from London to St. Petersburg.

His design books played a quintessential part in the dissemination of a distinctively English Neoclassical style throughout the European continent, particularly in Russia, where craftsmen such as Christian Meyer were greatly influenced by his work. One of Pergolesi’s most influential design album series, entitled Designs for Various Ornaments, was published in fourteen parts between 1777 and 1801. Including designs for interiors, decorations, and furniture, these volumes took inspiration from Raphael's works and the new Etruscan style, which is apparent in the carved decoration of these benches.