Snuff box, painted after François Boucher
KPM, Berlin ca. 1770, gilt metal mount. Height: 4.6 cm; length: 9 cm; depth: 5,8 cm. Probably painted by Isaac Jacob Clauce after paintings by François Boucher
Berlin model no. 11: ‘Tabatièren mit Zierathen viereckigt’ (Lenz I, p. 38)
The painting of the box is based on Boucher engravings, which were purchased in the manufactory at the personal behest of the king (Lenz 1913 vol. I p. 43).
Published in Langeloh Anniversary catalogue 2019 no. 144 pp. 768–771
The inside of the cover bears a painting after the engraving ’Le plaisir de l’été’ by Jean Daullé (1703 – 1763), 1755. The engraving bears the dedication: ‘A Madame de Pompadour, Dame du Palais de la Reine d’après les tableause lui appartemant’.
It refers to Boucher’s oil paintings of the four seasons, which have been in the possession of the Madame de Pompadour till 1764. Since 1916 the etchings are part of the Frick Collection, New York (Ananoff, p.131 f. and 134, fig. 281 with Daullé’s etchings).
Another version oft the etching (not published by Ananoff) bears Daullé’s very personal dedication: ‘A Madame Pompadour Dame du Palais de la Reine par sen très humble et très obeissant serviteur. J. Daulle’ (Jean-Richard, p. 165, no. 564).
The external sides are painted with polychrome ‘putti’ surrounded by golden ‘rocailles’. The paintings of the upper side as well as the bottom are also after Boucher engravings. They have been etched by Louis Félix de la Rue (1731 – 1765) and published by Gabriel Huquier (1695 – 1772) – a Parisian artist, art dealer, publisher and art connoisseur.
Isaac Jacob Clauce
The painting of the presented snuff box is probably by Isaac J. Clauce (1728 – 1803), the miniaturist of the Berlin manufactory. Beaucamp-Markowsky wrote about him that he was famous for his enamel paintings (especially on snuff boxes). In 1753 he went to Dresden instructed to develop the painting of the Meissen manufactory to perfection. But after a year he was dismissed because his work was too expensive. In 1756 Clauce was appointed by King Frederick the Great to work at the Royal Porcelain manufactory Berlin, where he stayed as head of the painters till his dead (Beaucamp-Markowsky 1988 p. 44 f.).
