Giuseppe Maggiolini (1738-1814) is one of the most renowned Italian cabinetmakers of the 18th and early 19th century. Particularly famed is his work in marquetry, on commodes, chests, writing desks and tables. Neoclassical in design, his pieces employ a variety of richly-colored woods, geometric shapes, and intricate patterns.

He was born in Parabiago, near Milan, in Lombardy, Italy and worked as a carpenter for the Cistercian monastery of Sant’Ambrogio della Vittoria in Parabiago before opening his own workshop. His first major commission was the Villa Litta for marchese Pompeo Litta. This led to other important assignments, particularly from the Archiduke Ferdinand of Austria, to whom he became cabinetmaker; from Stanislav II Poniatowsk, king of Poland; and later from the Bonaparte family. His designs were often based on the drawings of Levati and painter Andrea Appiani, and included classical motifs such as “trophies of musical instruments, cornucopia-like scrolls of acanthus leaves, ruffled ribbons, tendrils of ivy and bunches of flowers, as well as more strictly antique architectural ornaments…”¹

Figure 2

The corner panels running from the top of the present commodes to the legs are decorated with stylized Roman lamps, which recur on the corners of a number of Maggiolini pieces (figure 1). In this case, the Roman lamps are topped with pinecones, imitating the form of thyrsusi. The thyrsus, a symbol representing hospitality in Italy, is another motif present in Maggiolini’s oeuvre. It appears in a drawing of 1801 from Maggiolini’s workshop that was used on the side panels of a secretary, details of which can be seen in figure 2.

Figure 4

The present pair of commodes is of unusually grand proportions, and is inlaid with a profusion of sophisticated detail.  There is scrolling, floral decoration on their drawers and sides, woods of contrasting colors highlight the geometric elements surrounding centered keyholes, and an octagon containing an acanthine whorl occupies the center of each side. A collection of drawings by Maggiolini from the CivicaRaccolta delle Stampe, Milan, depicts several variations on the motif (figure 3).  A related design of similar acanthine decoration found within overlapping geometric shapes can be seen on a pair of tables by Maggiolini, circa 1780 and probably intended for the Palazzo Reale in Milan (figure 4).

These commodes formed part of the collection of the American Bradford de Wolf, great-nephew of Samuel Colt, inventor of the Colt 45 revolver, who is believed to have purchased them in Rome around 1890. Amid a failing Italian economy, Prince Paolo Borghese attempted to distribute his family’s holdings among his siblings, and to illegally sell to foreign buyers, as no other Italians had the funds. “The eagerness of Prince Borghese to dispose of the masterpieces in his collection was, of course, tantalizing to Americans who had the wealth to go after such treasures.”² Ultimately, the Villa Borghese was assumed by the state in 1890 and portions of the collection sold, and it was at this sale Mr. de Wolf is believed to have acquired the commodes.

<sub>Footnotes:
1. Fleming, John and Hugh Honour. The Penguin Dictionary of Decorative Arts. London: Penguin Books Ltd., 1977.
2. Craven, Wayne. Stanford White: Decorator in Opulence and Dealer in Antiquities. Columbia University Press, 2005.</sub>