683 - Balthasar Wigand

Balthasar Wigand A casket with an extensive nécessaire by Balthasar Wigand (1770 - 1846) Mother-of-pearl veneer on softwood, blued steel fittings, gouache on paper behind glass, mirror glass, steel, brass, silk, various other materials. The lid depicting a view of the exterior of the Burgtor in Vienna, inscribed "Den 13 April 1826". Inside the lid, a mirror with an aide-mémoire behind it. Three removable trays with fitted compartments. The upper tray containing sewing accessories (40 pieces), the middle tray toilette articles (23 pieces), and the lower tray writing accessories (17 pieces). Many of the objects decorated with a floral motif and "A MOI" in cloisonné enamel. Signed "Wigand" lower left in the gouache. Small chips to the corners and minor old repairs; one object from the upper tray missing. Height 11.4, width 39.3, depth 29.2 cm. Vienna, 1826. The economic strengthening of the middle classes following the defeat of Napoleon in 1814, in the face of Metternich's rigorous conservatism and the system of surveillance he initiated, was accompanied by a retreat into the comforts of the home. As active participation in politics was excluded, the domestic sphere became the principal setting for the expression of individual ideas and aspirations during the Biedermeier period. Simple interiors adapted to the needs of the middle classes were complemented by highly decorative, artistically designed household accessories and objects of daily use. The newly emerging focus on activities such as needlework, letter writing and drawing characterised the Biedermeier way of life. Balthasar Johann Baptist Wigand became renowned for his detailed miniature views. He recorded not only landscapes and city vedute, but also political events of the Napoleonic era in gouache and watercolour. As demand increased, Wigand was able to establish a workshop in which his miniatures were also incorporated into objects such as jewellery caskets and sewing boxes, as well as into furniture. Further identical nécessaires are in the Wien Museum, inv. no. 163803/1, and in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc. no. 1990.328.21a-i. This lot contains organic material that does not permit the export of this lot into non-EU countries. Literature Cf. Witt-Dörring, "Objets viennois en nacre de l'époque Biedermeier", in: Kat. Vienne 1815–1848. Un nouvel art de vivre à l'époque Biedermeier, Paris 1990, cat. nos. 275 ff. Cf. Kat. Bürgersinn und Aufbegehren. Biedermeier und Vormärz in Wien 1815–1848, Vienna 1987, cat. no. 6/6/7.