In 1759 Charles VII of Naples and the Two Sicilies inherited the throne of Spain, following the death of his half-brother Ferdinand VI, where he reigned as Charles III.
Shortly after his arrival in Spain Charles III ordered the production of a lavish porcelain service for his mother Elisabeth Farnese, the Dowager Queen of Spain, from his newly established porcelain factory at Buen Retiro.
Louis-Michel van Loo, Philip V and Queen Elisabeth Farnese of Spain in 1739
Museo del Prado (P06148), Royal Palace of Riofrio
Charles III had transported much of his beloved Neapolitan porcelain factory of Capodimonte, including equipment, forty key workers including the leading modeller Giuseppe Gricci (c.1700–1770), as well as nearly five tons of porcelain paste to Spain. Here he re-established the factory in the private gardens of the royal palace of Buen Retiro on the outskirts of Madrid.
The service for Elisabeth Farnese was made between 1760 and 1766 following designs, in part, created at Capodimonte. The service was used at the former Queen’s residence of the Palacio de la Granja where 382 pieces were listed in an inventory. A note by Domenico Maria Sani, Aposentador (quartermaster) of the Real Palacio de San Ildefonso, in the inventory after the death of the Queen indicates that the service was kept in eight drawers in one of the storerooms (dependencia) of the Palace. It was also noted that there was one drawer of broken pieces which indicates that it had been regularly used.[1] The service was not given a value in the inventory because it was a gift from the King, which Charles III intended to keep. It continued in use at La Granja for over 20 years, after which it was sold and dispersed. Five coolers were recorded in the inventory, two remain in the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas[2] and one is apparently missing.
Lady Charlotte Schreiber, the great Victorian collector, records her purchase of our two coolers in her journal in May 1871 during her visit to Madrid[3]:
‘24th After luncheon we went with C.S. to call on the Riaños. They took us to a newly established curiosity shop, 15 Calle de Gorguera,[4] to show us some Buen Retiro sceaux.
25th Extremely rainy day. C.S. and I (after usual Palmeroli sitting) took a cab with Giovanni and made a great round of the Prenderias, and invested rather heavily. Bought the two Buen Retiro sceaux at Lorenzo’s, £20…………’
During her stay in Madrid Lady Charlotte was sitting for her portrait to the artist Vicente Palmeroli.
The coolers passed to Lady Charlotte’s son Lord Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne, (Lady Charlotte was also known as Lady Charlotte Guest after her first husband) and then by descent through the Viscounts Wimborne.
[1] Calvo 2019m p. 232.
[2] Ortega 1999, p. 182/183, no 8 & Calvo 2019, p. 234, fig. 4.
[3] Guest 1911. Volume 1, p. 125.
[4] The street has since been renamed in honour of the poet Núñez de Arce.
Condition:
Chipping to the feet, no restoration.
Provenance:
Queen Elisabeth Farnese of Spain
Lady Charlotte Schreiber
Lord Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne
By descent to the 4th Viscount Wimborne
References:
Calvo 2019
Eva Calvo, Un servicio mesa de la Real Fábrica del Buen Retiro paara Isabel de Farnesios,
From: Rodríguez, Inmaculada (ed.). “El rey Festivo. Palacio, jardines, mares y ríos como escenarios cortesanos (siglos XVI-XIX)”: Valencia: Universitat de València, 2019.
Guest 1911
Montague J. Guest (ed), Lady Charlotte Schreiber’s Journals, (The Bodley Head, London, 1911)
Ortega 1999
Angeles Granados Ortega et al., Manufactura del Buen Retiro 1760-1808, Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Madrid, 1999 Exhibition Catalogue, 1999
We are grateful to Félix Zorzo for alerting us to the paper by Eva Calvo.
SOLD