Center Table
1 of 4
Object Label
This center table was made by Baltimore’s preeminent cabinetmaker, John Finlay. Baltimore furniture makers developed a unique interpretation of the Neoclassical style characterized by bold forms and painted and stenciled decoration. The top was made in Italy, although its painted scene is based on the work of the Vernet family of France. The technique used to make the top, called scagliola (Italian for “plaster”), is a less expensive and less labor-intensive alternative to the traditional technique of hardstone mosaic.
Caption
Table legs attributed to John Finlay American, born Ireland, 1777–1851; Top attributed to Della Valle Brothers Livorno, Italy. Center Table, ca. 1825. Wood, brass, gilt, plaster (scagliola), 30 3/8 x 33 x 33 in. (77.2 x 83.8 x 83.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with funds given by an anonymous donor, gift of the American Art Council and Designated Purchase Fund, 88.24. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 88.24_side_bw.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Title
Center Table
Date
ca. 1825
Geography
Place made: Baltimore, Maryland, United States, Place made: Livorno, Italy
Medium
Wood, brass, gilt, plaster (scagliola)
Classification
Dimensions
30 3/8 x 33 x 33 in. (77.2 x 83.8 x 83.8 cm)
Markings
Underside of table inscribed, "Maritime Vernet", which probably refers to either Claude Joseph Vernet or Carle Vernet; both were French artists known for their maritime-inspired engravings.
Credit Line
Purchased with funds given by an anonymous donor, gift of the American Art Council and Designated Purchase Fund
Accession Number
88.24
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
Is this painted or inlaid?
This table top was made using a technique called 'scagliola', which is a type of plaster mixed with glue and dyed to resemble mosaic work. This technique was first developed in ancient Rome but experienced a revival in the 18th and 19th centuries, and was used often to imitate marble.Please give us information regarding this table.
The base of this table was created by one of the premier furniture-making firms in Nineteenth-century Baltimore, that of John and Hugh Finlay. The decorative top is attributed to the Della Valle brothers who worked in Livorno, Italy.Italians, of course. Thanks.You're welcome! The Della Valle brothers were known for their mastery of a plastering technique called scagliola. Notice that this table top is flat and painted, but with a high degree of trompe l'oeil. It's especially noticeable in the beaded border of the painting, even the beads have shadows!
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