28. 28W Paire de meubles d'appui de style Louis XVI de Grohé Frères, en bois de rose, palissandre, bois citronnier et filets d'amarante, ornementation de bronze ciselé et doré, vers 1847 A pair of Louis XVI style ormolu-mounted tulipwood, rosewood, bois citronnier and amaranth-banded side cabinets by Grohé Frères, circa 1847 Both of inverted breakfront shape, the veneered top and moulded cornice with multiple ormolu Vitruvian scroll and foliate mouldings above a panelled frieze with beaded border, opening with a panelled door centred by a large oval mount with Bacchic children playing within an intricate foliate and floral surround surmounted by a love trophy, with further beaded and foliate encadrement borders and flowerhead patera, enclosing a contrasting bois citronnier lined interior, flanked by large draped terms holding respectively flowers, a bird and a cornucopia, on stop-fluted tapering pilasters, the sides conformingly inlaid and centred by ribbon-tied floral husks in encadrements, the right hand side with a further crowned circular mount with the coat-of-arms of the Serra family, and inscribed: 'GROHE F.RES - DEL. A.C. CUSANI', the back of the cabinets stamped 'GROHE FRERES EBENISTES DU ROI A PARIS' once to one cabinet and twice on the second one, 190cm wide x 124cm deep x 114cm high, (75in wide x 49in deep x 44 1/2in high) Provenance: Most probably commissioned from Grohe Frères by Marchese A. Carlo Cusani for the Marchese Orso Serra, during the refurbishing of Villa Serra in Comago, near Genoa; Private Italian collection Grohé, Le Maître incontesté de l'Ebénisterie Moderne The firm Grohe Frères was established by Guilaume Grohé (1808-1885) and his brother Jean-Michel Grohé (b.1804). Both arrived together in Paris in 1827 from Winthersheim (Hesse-Darmstadt) and soon became ouvriers-ébénistes. They decided to join forces on 15 April 1847, and produced since then under the label of 'Grohé Frères'. They exhibited at the major exhibitions throughout the 19th century and supplied furniture to the French Royal households at Tuileries, Saint-Cloud and Fontainebleau, and Queen Victoria for Windsor castle. Grohé excellence was recognised by multiple prizes received in the expositions, and reviews of the time praised their achievements, as this review in the January 1884 Le Figaro: '..digne continuateur de Boulle, Gouthière et des Riesener [...]. Il a assuré la prépondérance du goût français dans l'ameublement de luxe et les modèles que son beau talent a créés assurent pour longtemps à notre pays cette glorieuse suprématie artistique'. Following Guillaume's retirement in 1861, the younger brother Jean-Michel managed the business until 1884. Note on the provenance: Marchese Carlo Cusani The Ligurian Villa Serra in Comago near Genoa was acquired by Marchese Orso Serra in 1850, who decided to entirely remodel the original 18th century Villa formerly called Villa Pinelli, into a fashionable neo-Gothic property. In order to do this, he commissioned the brilliant Genoese industrialist, architect and painter Marchese Carlo Cusani to redesign the Villa in the latest fashion and to add a Tudor style cottage. The works started in 1851 after an inspirational trip to London where both went to study the latest trends and probably acquire suitable furnishing for the Villa. The works lasted 10 years.