218 - Fernandino dressing table. Spain, ca. 1820.

Fernandino dressing table. Spain, ca. 1820. Mahogany with marquetry and mirror. In good overall condition. Shows old wood-boring insect holes on the back. Measurements: 68 x 45 x 35 cm. Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. This dressing table is a fine example of Spanish furniture from the Fernandino period, characterized by the continuation of the neoclassical style and a preference for fine woods enhanced by subtle ornamental hallmarks. The composition is arranged in a strictly symmetrical manner, with the rectangular mirror flanked by turned columns and topped by a projecting cornice with small urn-shaped pinnacles. The lower section features a drawer with a slightly curved front, decorated with marquetry of geometric and floral motifs in light wood. The combination of mahogany, fillet work, and turned elements adds visual richness without disrupting the architectural sobriety of the piece—a characteristic feature of Fernandino furniture from the early decades of the 19th century.