A Early/Mid 20thC Italian Painted Pine Neoclassical Revival Pedestal Cabinet

Origin: North Italian
Period: Mid 20thC
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1930-50
Height: 34”
Width: 21”
Depth: 14” (all at extremities)

The beautiful polychrome painted pedestal cabinet or cupboard, the hand decoration in the late eighteenth century neoclassical manner, in a sandy coloured ground with soft green and red highlights, the top painted with griffins to a central fluted urn to a swagged frieze with oval tablets, the flanks and front with trumpeted swags; all being fielded panels and each section with line decoration, the cupboard doors opening to reveal one shelf, working lock and key to pad feet on dwarf cabriole legs surviving from the second quarter of twentieth century Italy.

In desirable original and untouched condition, the paintwork has a good surface patina and has not been overpainted or restored in any way. There are no deficiencies to note.

While the Rococo style was popular in France, 18th-century Italian furniture was in the Empire and Neoclassic styles. The curves of Baroque gave way to less complex and geometric. Paint colours returned to a more neutral palette. While the lines of Italian Empire and Neoclassic styles were plainer and more geometric, ornamentation was larger and inspired by Greek, Roman, and Egyptian styles.

At a fraction of the cost of an eighteenth-century example this is a very pretty and useful piece of versatile furniture.