Regency period console table attributed to Bernard Honoré Turreau dit "Toro".

We present here a brief description of this piece. We encourage readers to consult the complete file, with its many photos and details, by clicking on the following link:

Presentation of the console attributed to Turreau in PDF file

"Bernard Toro, who was certainly one of the most skilful ornamentalists and wood carvers to have worked in France, who had a style full of distinction and elegance, and so original that it cannot be confused with any other, is, as far as his biography is concerned, a veritable Proteus; he escapes me as soon as I think I have him." Bruno Pons (A recognized specialist in the history of 18th-century interior decoration, he has made it possible to advance the knowledge and dating of many remarkable ornamental woodworks)

"Bernard Toro can be considered the decorative expansion of Puget's genius. [...] An incredible ability to excavate wood down to its smallest details, to hollow out palmettes and scrolls with the most delicate care, without ever falling into manner or pettiness, then and above all an incomparable ladle, knowing how to imprint on each object the spirit that is proper to it, communicating to all a perfect softness and harmony, and spreading such charm over the figures." André Girodie, Henri Vial, Marcel Adrien (Les Artistes décorateurs du bois - Répertoire alphabétique des ébénistes, menuisiers, sculpteurs, doreurs sur bois, etc., ayant travaillé en France aux XVIIème et XVIIIème siècles).

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Our carved and gilded wood console is based on the structure used by Toro, and in particular designed by him in his "Livre de tables de diverses formes". Turreau designed numerous ornaments, console models, cartouches... all in an imaginary, chimerical and baroque repertoire inspired by Italian art combined with French execution. These drawings were a source of inspiration for the Master.

First, we note the choice of Bernard Honoré Turreau's characteristic structure, a console resting on two legs. The emphasis is on the center of the brace, to which the eye is drawn by the sculpted creatures. The great respect for symmetry so dear to the artist is maintained. Intertwined snake or dragon tails are characteristic of the Master. So are the inverted shells and acanthus leaves. These are also present, especially on the spacer.

This carved and gilded wood console table is of the most original design.

The upper part of the console features an openwork belt decorated with shells, foliage, garlands and floral motifs.

At the base of the curved legs, a flower is encircled by original, generous feathers echoing the animal world. We follow the ophidian lines of the two coiled snakes to reach the center of the brace with its grotesque Lion head, magnificently sculpted and crowned with a large openwork shell.

The two reptiles finally confront each other in front of the large mufle and inverted Regency shell.

An impression of power emanates from the entire decor, a feeling reinforced by the thick, double-throated violet brèche marble capping the piece.

Scrolls of flowers, foliage and acanthus leaves play an important role in Turreau's stylistic repertoire. According to Bruno Pons, "hollowing out the palmettes and scrolls with the most delicate care, without ever falling into manner or pettiness, then and above all an incomparable touch, [...] Communicating a perfect softness and harmony, and spreading over the figures such a charm and morbidness that the wood lives and breathes."

Our console repeats these elements, so dear to Toro, on its girdle: the moving scrolls of flowers and acanthus leaves, but also the vegetal motifs sprouting from the flower buds, a characteristic trait of the Master that we also find in the inner part of the console legs.

On the uprights, the feather motif, rarely used in furniture sculpture, is, on the other hand, frequently used by Toro in his numerous drawings. Although these representations are often linked to fantastical animals, some motifs are depicted for their decorative value in their own right.

Along the uprights, snakes coil up before facing each other. These reptiles were particularly popular with the artist, who often depicted them in his published drawings, sometimes alongside dragons.

The impressive large lion's snout is the centerpiece of this console. The excavated-eyed feline in the confrontation zone between the two snakes stares out at the viewer. This figure is at the crossroads of the animal and chimeric worlds, reminiscent of certain faun heads with their mouths open.

Ref: O7708NT9BR