Pair 18th-Century Neapolitan Painted Corner Console Tables, Faux Porphyry Tops

Details

Description

Pair of 18th-Century Neapolitan Painted Corner Console Tables with Faux Porphyry Tops

Naples, Italy, circa 1760–1785

This rare and highly … Read more Pair of 18th-Century Neapolitan Painted Corner Console Tables with Faux Porphyry Tops

Naples, Italy, circa 1760–1785

This rare and highly decorative pair of Neapolitan corner console tables exemplifies the refined painted furniture tradition of southern Italy in the late 18th century, particularly associated with Naples and its aristocratic interiors.

Form & Architecture

Each table is conceived as a corner console, with a subtly bowed, serpentine front designed to soften the geometry of the room corner—an elegant solution favored in Neapolitan palazzi. The proportions are tall and slender, supported by tapered, square-section legs terminating in small block feet, with restrained Neoclassical articulation replacing earlier Rococo excess.

Decoration & Technique

The tables are executed in polychrome-painted and parcel-gilt wood, featuring a warm ochre ground enriched with scrolling acanthus, floral arabesques, and stylized foliage. The frieze of each console is centered by a painted landscape cartouche, framed in red and black bands. These miniature landscapes—harbors or pastoral views rendered in blue-green tones—reflect the Grand Tour fascination with Italy and the Neapolitan School’s painterly approach to furniture decoration.

The legs are decorated with vertical vine and leaf motifs, bordered in black, creating a strong linear rhythm that emphasizes height and elegance. The overall palette—ochres, golds, blacks, and muted reds—is characteristic of Neapolitan taste, distinct from the cooler grisaille schemes more common in northern Italy or France.

Faux Porphyry Tops

The shaped tops are painted in imitation of red porphyry, a material historically associated with imperial Rome and later revived in 18th-century decorative arts as a symbol of classical authority and permanence. The convincing speckled surface and deep wine-red tone demonstrate a high level of skill in scagliola-style trompe-l’œil painting, allowing costly stone effects to be achieved in wood.

Historical Context

Naples in the mid-to-late 18th century was a vibrant artistic center under Bourbon rule, with strong connections to archaeology, classical revival, and the Grand Tour. Painted furniture of this type was produced for elite interiors, often used in pairs or suites to furnish salons, galleries, or antechambers. Corner consoles were especially prized for their architectural usefulness and decorative impact.

Condition

The tables are present in good, honest 18th-century condition, with visible surface wear, paint losses, and patina consistent with age and use. These signs of wear enhance their authenticity and reflect centuries of use rather than later restoration.

Dimensions (each):

36" W x 27" D x 35" H

They are ideal for collectors of Italian decorative arts, Grand Tour material, or designers seeking museum-level accent furniture with real historical presence. See less