Scagliola Column from the Family of the Viscounts Kelmsley

Scagliola Column from the Family of the Viscounts Kelmsley, England, Circa 1840. Originally intended to support a bust or other important decorative object, this column is scagliola, most likely of Italian origin, and designed to imitate Siena marble with a contrasting imitation statuary marble base. Invented in Italy in the 17th century, the scagliola technique involves combining gypsum, pigments and glue together to form highly convincing imitations of figured stones or marbles. The quality of the effect depends very much on the skill of the individual painters and this column is extremely accomplished. A common misconception about scagliola is that its use implied a cost saving on the part of the original owner. This is simply not the case. Scagliola could often be just as expensive to purchase as the stones it imitated and the decision to use scagliola and not marble was often made due to the relative weight involved-floor loading tolerances meant that even the grandest houses would experience problems if every room had marble columns and decorative pedestals etc. Therefore a market for scagliola pieces was created and it was utilised in some of the most important English interiors such as at Syon House, London home of the Dukes of Northumberland, and Sepncer House in St James’s, ancestral home of the Earls Spencer and, latterly, Princess Diana. We have another column made en suite with this piece of different dimensions offered for sale separately. This, the larger of the two columns from the Kemsley estate in our current collection. Provenance From the family of the Viscounts Kemsley The Berry Family, Viscounts Kemsley Born in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, Sir James Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley, and his two brothers Henry, 1st Baron Buckland and William, 1st Viscount Camrose, made a formidable trio. James and William were both newspaper barons whilst Henry made his fortune as an industrialist. Together the brothers were part of the wave of extremely rich and successful business people who began to take over from the “old money” aristocratic families during the social upheaval caused by the world wars and economic changes affecting Europe during the first half of the 20th century. Sir James Gomer Berry founded Kemsley Newspapers, a company which at one point owned The Sunday Times, The Daily Sketch and The Sunday Graphic and Berry himself also co-owned The Daily Telegraph with his brother William. This domination of the British print media by one family was unprecedented up to this point, especially as Berry would later become chairman of Reuters News Agency in 1951, further cementing his grip. As one might expect, Berry become something of a society figure, his wealth opening many doors for him. One of his passions was sailing and in 1935 he purchased the M. Y. Princess, a motor yacht built in 1924 for Sir James Knott by the Furness Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. This report from 1938 in the Northern Whig describes Berry and his family cruising around Ireland, making time to meet with De Valera in Dublin, thus mixing business with pleasure. The newspaper report also makes it clear that the family now moved in the very highest social circles and there must have been some impressive entertaining on board the Princess during this period.