Lot 82 Dα

Prince Stanislaw Poniatowski (1754 - 1833) was the nephew and heir of Stanislaus II August, the last King of Poland, who was forced to abdicate in 1795. The Prince moved to Rome and styled himself as a passionate collector of antiquities and patron of the arts, even commissioning Angelica Kauffmann to paint his portrait. In a very short period he amassed an extraordinary collection of over 2,600 intaglios, which he claimed to be antique. In 1830, he published his collection in several volumes with commentary and accompanying plaster casts. The works were in fact commissioned from contemporary Roman gem-cutters working “alla maniera antica”, and are fantastic examples of late Neoclassical gem engraving. Amassing this imposing princely collection cost Poniatowski a small fortune. The unusually large gold-framed intaglios depict scenes derived from classical literature such as the works of Homer, Vergil, and Ovid, and are signed with the names of the most famous ancient Greek gem-cutters. They are of exceptional technical and artistic quality. Following the Prince's death in 1839, the collection was sold by Christie's in London. The auction turned out to be a flop, as rumours had already begun to surface that the gems were modern forgeries. Unfortunately, the talented gem-cutters who produced these works have as yet not been identified, but there is evidence to suggest that the famed Pichler brothers were among them.
We would like to thank Claudia Wagner from the Beazley Archive of the University of Oxford for her kind support.