We are excited to bring you another discovery we recently made:
We have a large carpet in our collection (measuring 20′ x 15′) decorated with a profusion of stylized foliate tendrils and acanthus leaves, centered by an Islamic-style temple. Carlton’s hunch that it’s design resembled the work of Eugène Viollet le Duc (1814-1879) led us to contact Professor Martin Bressani, the leading authority on Viollet-le-Duc, who commented that the carpet looked to be his work “to the degree that it is hard to imagine anyone else having designed it”, and that the distinctive floral motif, was one of Viollet-le-Duc’s trademarks. Read more... (374 words, 4 images, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)
Possibly Brazilian School. First half of the eighteenth century.
Oil on canvas.
Height: 41″ (104 cm); Width: 32 1/2″ (81.5 cm). 9897
The painting belongs to a small, but increasingly examined, body of works in which black subjects are depicted in all manner of roles, from subservient to scholarly. While the representation of blacks following intellectual pursuits is rare, it is not unheard of, as seen in the portrait Francis Williams, the Negro Scholar of Jamaica circa 1740, in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The son of wealthy former slaves, Williams enjoyed a European lifestyle and the opportunity to pursue poetry and mathematics. In his portrait, Williams is depicted in his study with the Jamaican city of Spanish Town in the distance. While the subject of the present painting also appears to enjoy some level of luxury, the context is more ambiguous. Read more... (672 words, 1 image, estimated 2:41 mins reading time)
This is a preview of Black Artist Completing A Portrait of A White Female Aristocrat
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Read the full post (672 words, 1 image, estimated 2:41 mins reading time)
The labrum, or basin, was used as a water vessel in ancient Roman bath complexes and gardens. With the construction of aqueducts, water could be carried for miles and its use was no longer restricted to basic necessities, but could now be enjoyed for recreation and decorative purposes. It is apparent from ancient marble specimens and wall frescoes that ornamental fountains were popular additions to the garden landscapes of antiquity.
Read more... (657 words, 6 images, estimated 2:38 mins reading time)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
In mid-16th century Renaissance Italy, the production of panels and tabletops using inlays of semiprecious stone began, with materials and geometric designs deriving from classical Roman motifs.
However, the design of this particular tabletop, which is probably Roman circa 1680, represents a complete departure from this tradition in that it is a pure interpretation in mosaic of ancient marble, possibly Egyptian alabaster or giallo antico. We know of no other comparable example and, as such, believe this top to be probably unique. Read more... (213 words, 2 images, estimated 51 secs reading time)
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
We can’t wait for the new Sherlock Holmes movie to be released!
The film looks to promise the same action, adventure, and intrigue found in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved tales, which total four novels and fifty-six short stories! The books are particularly special to us at Carlton Hobbs, and here are a couple of reasons why:
Carleton Hobbs as Sherlock Holmes Read more... (442 words, 3 images, estimated 1:46 mins reading time)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
We are pleased and excited to announce that Carlton Hobbs and Jean- Luc Baroni, one of the leading international fine art specialists, will be holding an exhibition of Master Works of Art and Furniture entitled “IN THE GRAND MANNER,” which will run from January 22 to February 2, 2010 at the Carlton Hobbs Gallery, 60 East 93rd Street, in New York. Baroni will present approximately thirty-five rare and highly important old master paintings and drawings, from the 16th to the early 20th centuries, some on view for the first time in the United States. Read more... (848 words, 3 images, estimated 3:24 mins reading time)
This is a preview of CARLTON HOBBS AND JEAN-LUC BARONI PRESENT “IN THE GRAND MANNER”
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Read the full post (848 words, 3 images, estimated 3:24 mins reading time)
Monday, September 14, 2009
For the last six months we’ve been pleased to bring you exciting discoveries and information, both scholarly and anecdotal, on items in the Carlton Hobbs LLC collection. We’d now like to introduce to you the owner of these fascinating pieces.
Carlton Hobbs has been acquiring, researching, conserving and selling museum quality objects and works of art for about 35 years. His career has been dedicated to the discovery and exploration of fine and decorative arts objects, with particular interest in their history and with a focus on pieces of exceptional merit, including specially commissioned items with royal or aristocratic provenance and pieces designed by architects. He has worked actively for many years towards furthering the scholarly interaction and exchange of research between public galleries and the decorative arts trade. Read more... (430 words, 3 images, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)
Figure 1: Bust of Antinous. Carlton Hobbs LLC.
Antinous was a Bithynian youth and the favorite of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Little is known about his early years, nor is it certain whether he was born free or a slave. We do know, however, that he was considered to possess extraordinary “beauty of form”1 and, joining the emperor’s entourage, became Hadrian’s beloved companion. Read more... (569 words, 2 images, estimated 2:17 mins reading time)
Doll's house in the collection of Carlton Hobbs LLC.
The manufacture of European dolls’ houses, or “baby houses” as they were first called, began as early as the 16th century, with the first known house being built for Duke Albert V of Bavaria. Germany, Holland, and the Netherlands were the most prevalent producers and collectors and, after the Revolution of 1687, Dutch King William brought the trend to Britain. It was the English dolls’ houses that were, from the beginning, built with genuine façades. This doll’s house in the Carlton Hobbs collection, believed to be from the first half of the 18th century for its construction in oak, was built in the Palladian style using various architectural manuals of the period. Read more... (486 words, 2 images, estimated 1:57 mins reading time)
