AN IRISH MARBLE TOPPED SERPENTINE SIDE TABLE, c.1830, the mottled marble top with simulated malachite banding above a ropetwist frieze with carved cabouchon, and elaborate cabriole legs, each...

AN IRISH MARBLE TOPPED SERPENTINE SIDE TABLE, c.1830, the mottled marble top with simulated malachite banding above a ropetwist frieze with carved cabouchon, and elaborate cabriole legs, each headed by bold lion masks over acanthus leaves, terminating in paw and disk feet. 79cm high, 136cm wide, 53.5cm deep

Provenance: William Randolph Hearst, Sale of his Collection, Parke-Bernet, New York, 5-7 January 1939, No. 356
According to the Archive Directory of The Frick Collection, Parke-Bernet Auctioneers were purchased by Sotheby & Co in 1964 after becoming America's largest auction house.

 

William Randolph Hearst (1863 1951) was an American businessman, politician, and newspaper publisher. He established the nation's largest newspaper chain and media companyHearst Communications, which at the height of its power owned nearly thirty newspapers in major cities across the United States.Hearst is renowned for his somewhat flamboyant methods ofyellow journalism, a term used to describe or deride journalism and associated newspapers whose news stories lack in-depth research and reporting. This style of writing hugely influenced the nation's popular media by emphasizing sensationalism and human-interest stories.

 

Hearst was also involved in politics, he was twice elected as aDemocratto theU.S. House of Representatives and ran unsuccessfully forPresident of the United Statesin1904,Mayor of New York Cityin 1905 and 1909 and for Governor of New York in1906.

 

A keen art collector, over his lifetime Hearst amassed an extensive array of artwork, Spanish and Italian furniture, oriental carpets and a comprehensive library of books and manuscripts. In 1925, he purchased St. Donats Castle, the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, which sits on the cliffs overlooking the Bristol Channel. Hearst set about restoring the medieval structure, often buying entire rooms from castles and palaces in Europe. His famous mansion Hearst Castle, located on Central Coast of California, is now State Historical Monument and aNational Historic Landmark.

 

 

 

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