Enfilade

The long 18th century in the August issue of The Burlington:

The Burlington Magazine 167 (August 2025) | Decorative Arts

e d i t o r i a l

• Studying the Decorative Arts, p. 755.
The serious study of the decorative arts and the pleasures that derive from it have been an important feature of The Burlington Magazine since the early twentieth century. But how healthy is this field of research today? Arguably, it remains a specialised endeavour rather than holding a very prominent place in the mainstream of art-historical studies; and although there are some brilliant advocates for it and encouraging developments, an uncertain future is the key concern, as is the case with so many areas of scholarship in universities, museums and the market.

l e t t e r

• Philip McEvansoneya, “Lefèvre in Ireland,” pp. 756–57. Response to Humphrey Wine’s article in the May issue, “Napoleon Crossing the Alps: British Press Reaction to the London Exhibitions of David, Lefèvre, Wicar, and Lethière,” pp. 450–59.

a r t i c l e s

• Annabel Westman, “Peter Dufresnoy, Fringe and Lacemaker Extraordinaire,” pp. 758–75.
The French fringe and lacemaker Peter Dufresnoy excelled at his craft and trade in Restoration London. A close study of written sources and surviving works by him facilitates a reconstruction of his brilliant career. His patrons included the Duke of Lauderdale (Ham House), Mary Howard, Duchess of Norfolk and 7th Baroness Mordaunt (Drayton House), the Earl of Exeter (Burghley House) and the Dowager Queen Catherine of Braganza.

Roll-top desk. France, ca.1790, mounted with 16th-century Japanese lacquer, wood, black lacquer, gold and silver lacquer, mother of pearl, leather and gilt metal mounts, 110 × 95 × 55 cm (Royal Collection Trust; © His Majesty King Charles III 2025). The desk was acquired by the Prince of Wales (the future George IV) from Harry Phillips.

• Helen Jacobsen, “Harry Phillips and the Development of the London Decorative Art Market, 1796–1839,” pp. 776–91.
Analysis of sale catalogues assists in an assessment of the career of Harry Phillips, the least known of London’s significant Regency auctioneers. He specialised in decorative arts sales and his clients included William Beckford, the Prince of Wales and the Earl of Yarmouth. Notable works acquired at his auctions are now in the Royal Collection and the Wallace Collection, London.

• Brendan Cassidy, “John Udny and the ‘Battle of Pavia’ Tapestries, 1762–74,” pp. 792–99.
To commemorate Emperor Charles V’s victory at the Battle of Pavia in 1525, a set of seven tapestries illustrating key moments in the conflict were presented to the emperor by the Netherlands in 1531. They are now in the Museo di Capodimonte, Naples, and their provenance between 1762 and 1774 is established here by connecting them to John Udny, a Scottish diplomat, art collector and dealer.

• Romana Mastrella, “Two Monumental Maiolica Amphoraefrom the Papi Workshop: New Insights and Contexts,” pp. 800–05.
Recently acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, two large ‘istoriato’ maiolica vases [1670] featuring scenes from Torquato Tasso’s poem ‘Gerusalemme Liberata’ illustrate the continued presence of pottery workshops in seventeenth-century Urbania. Two previously unpublished documents help to contextualise their maker, Pietro Papi, as well the Papi family workshop, within the social and economic dynamics of central Italian ceramic production.

r e v i e w s

• Christopher Baker, “New Collection Displays at the National Gallery, London,” pp. 806–15.
In May 2025, as the final part of its bicentenary celebrations, the National Gallery, London, unveiled extensive new displays of its paintings. Juxtaposing the familiar and the unexpected, they provide fresh perspectives on its outstanding and expanding collection.

• David Pullins, Review of the newly renovated Frick Collection in New York, pp. 816–19.

• Nicola Ciarlo, Review of the exhibition Giovan Battista Foggini: Architetto e scultore granducale (Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence), pp. 824–27.

• Charles Saumarez Smith, Review of the new V&A East Storehouse in London, pp. 837–39.

• Kirstin Kennedy, Review of Peter Fuhring, The French Silverware in the Calouste Gulbenkian Collection (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, 2023); and Charissa Bremer-David, with contributions by Jessica Chasen, Arlen Heginbotham, and Julie Wolfe, French Silver in the J. Paul Getty Museum (J. Paul Getty Museum, 2023), pp. 840–42.

• Humphrey Wine, Review of Nicolas Lesur, Pierre Subleyras (1699–1749) (Arthena, 2023), pp. 848–49.

• Françoise Barbe, Review of Marco Spallanzani, Otto studi sul vetro a Firenze, Secoli XIV–XVIII (Edifir Edizioni, 2024), pp. 849–50.

• Marika Sardar, Review of Sonal Khullar, ed., Old Stacks, New Leaves: The Arts of the Book in South Asia (University of Washington Press, 2023), 850–51.