San Francisco Antiques - Urban Chateau

Cabinet Furniture
Seating Furniture
Tables
Mirrors, Brackets & Frames
Other Furniture
Lighting
Architectural Elements
Fine Arts
Objets D'Art
Decoration
Textiles
STILL AVAILABLE

Return to list of articles

Alabaster and Bronze Dore L'Assiette – A Work of Art by Maison Giroux
By Lisa Erickson, Urban Chateau

Carved of warm creamy alabaster, this mid-nineteenth Century Empire Style L’Assiette, is a stunning object to behold. Magnificently proportioned with elegantly curved gilt bronze handles and silvered bronze medallions representing Venus and Mars, the whole resonates as modern, foreshadowing the streamlined aesthetic of early Art Deco.

The forward-looking design of this object is not surprising given the historical impact of the maker, Maison Giroux. Founded in 1799 by Francis Simon Alphonse Giroux, cabinetmaker and official restorer of Notre Dame, “Maison Alphonse Giroux” also known as “Giroux & Cie” specialized in producing ornate objects d’art and technically sophisticated furniture. Patronized by various members of the French Royal Family, including Louis XVIII, Charles X, Henri V, and Napoleon III, the design house was particularly known for fine ormolu, japanning/lacquer work and exquisite furniture.

The business was taken over by his eldest son, Alphonse Gustave Giroux in 1838. Under his guidance and innovative planning, the business grew to become one of the first and most prestigious department stores in Paris, while continuing to take important commissions for custom work. Pieces made for the department store were marked “Maison Giroux,” while Alphonse Gustave Giroux signed commissioned pieces himself, as in the case of this assiette signed “Mon. Alph - Giroux Paris.”

Alphonse Giroux was fascinated with mechanics and new technology. Alphonse Gustave received a silver medal at the 1839 Exposition des l’Industrie Francaise and produced piece

s for the World Exposition of 1855. Some of his most unusual known creations are: a mechanical clock-work horse and carriage for the crown prince, an automaton of a violin player seated on a barrel and a lavishly detailed lifelike doll wearing a regal gown and crown of antique fabrics with seed pearls, presented at the 1867 Paris Universal Exposition to represent the glorious legacy of French Royalty.

Of additional historical significance was Maison Giroux’s role in producing the first commercial camera under the direction of Mr. Daguerreotype, which forever changed visual history and revolutionized the art world.

The first practical photographic process, Daguerreotypes, aptly called a “mirror with a memory,” definitively changed the way humans perceive the visual world.

The first daguerreotypes were mirrored images, but nonetheless depicted reality with astounding accuracy – unattainable by earlier techniques. Paintings, engravings, drawings, and sculpture could emulate reality but were always filtered through a human lens. For the first time it was possible to capture an objective, scientific image.

It is hard to overstate the public reaction to this new technology. Carl Dauthendey, the first professional daguerreotype photographer in St. Petersburg commented "People were afraid at first to look for any length of time at the pictures he produced. They were embarrassed by the clarity of these figures and believed that the little, tiny faces of the people in the pictures could see out at them, so amazing did the unaccustomed detail and the unaccustomed truth to nature of the first daguerreotypes appear to everyone.”

The importance of daguerreotypes in the mid-19th century cannot be overemphasized. Millions of faces and many thousands of scenes were recorded. It was the first time in history that people could see themselves "true to life." With the advent of photography it became possible for humans to create a visual legacy – a way to document the current times and people for future generations.

Noted for detail, Daguerreotypes especially impacted the art world: In December of 1839, the American Journal "The Knickerbocker" quoted: “We have seen the views taken in Paris by the 'Daguerreotype,' and have no hesitation in avowing, that they are the most remarkable objects of curiosity and admiration, in the arts, that we ever beheld. Their exquisite perfection almost transcends the bounds of sober belief.”

On 2 February 1839, the Spectator called daguerreotypes the "self operating process of Fine Art."

In conclusion, this Empire Style L’Assiette is not merely a stunning and luxurious object to behold. The forward thinking design and exceptional craftsmanship is a tangible testament to the innovative and quality work that made Maison Giroux famous.

To learn more about how a mechanical toy maker and a theatrical set designer created the first commercial camera, contact Lisa Erickson.

Other Resources:
http://www.ccsd.ca/charlotte/dagazine/mi/exhibit/intro.htm
http://www.ccsd.ca/charlotte/dagazine/mi/exhibit/present/p5.jpg
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadshow/speak/dtype.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daguerreotype
http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/dagprocess.htm