Lot Essay
This form of lacquer-veneered commode dating from the late 18th Century reflects the creative imagination of the marchands-mercier. Although born out of the early 18th Century commode en coffre, such as that in the château d'Amelienburg (Pagodenburg) in Bavaria and another sold in Paris, 5 December 1974, lot 90, they appear to have been almost exclusively commissioned through the intervention of a marchand-mercier. Indeed, ébénistes such as BVRB, Leleu, Cramer, Dubois, Joseph and Saunier, all of whom executed this type of commode are known to have worked for marchand-merciers.
The marchand Hébert possessed: 'Une petite commode de 3 pieds 4 pouces de long garnie de 10 tiroirs de verny de la Chine 120 livres' in his shop as early as 1724, while on the 16 May 1750 Lazare Duvaux delivered to Madame de Pompadour: 'Une commode composée de tiroirs d'ancien lacque garnie de bronze doré d'ormolu avec le marbre d'Antin, 864 livres', which is probably the commode subsequently recorded at Saint Ouen in 1764. Likewise, Darnault commissioned BVRB's talents to execute a similar commode which is now in the Louvre (Musée du Louvre, OA 11 745).
Finally, in the 1775 inventory taken following the death of the wife of the prolific marchand Racinel de la Planche, who specialised in lacquer, there is recorded: 'Un corps de commode à 10 tiroirs de lacque noir et or, le corps plaqué en ébéne et cannelures avec cadres et anneaux de bronze doré son dessus de marbre portor 360 livres'.
JOSEPH BAUMHAUER
Of German origin, Joseph Baumhauer married in Paris in 1747 and was appointed ébéniste privilegié du Roi around 1749. Established in the rue du faubourg Saint Antoine at the sign of the 'Boule Blanche', it seems that his oeuvre was commissioned exclusively by marchands-merciers. Indeed Hébert, Heceguerre, Duvaux, Julliot, Héricourt, Darnault and Poirier are all known to have employed him. Under their influence, his oeuvre became increasingly Neo-Classical from 1759-61 (such as the Lalive de Jully coquillier, sold in these Rooms, Works of Art from Houghton, 8 December 1994, lot 80.
The shape of the feet en toupie date this commode to circa 1770, a turning point in the atelier's production. Joseph died in 1772 but his workshop flourished under his son Gaspard, who employed his father's stamp until 1776. Gaspard's stock was valued at the enormous sum of 10 600 livres, which compares intriguingly with the 3900 livres of stock left by his father in 1772.
Two further commodes, each stamped by Joseph and incorporating ten Japanese lacquer drawers, remain in private collections. The first, illustrated in A. Pradère, Les Ebénistes Français de Louis XIV à la Révolution, Paris, 1989, p. 241, was in the collection of the Earl of Warwick at Warwick Castle. Delivered in 1770, it is already recorded in an inventory of 1777. The second, still owned by the family to whom it was supplied, was described in 1783 as: 'Une autre commode à dix tiroirs deux panneaux de coté le tout de laque noir à paysages orné de moulures dorés d'ormolu avec un dessus de marbre portor 880 livres'.
The marchand Hébert possessed: 'Une petite commode de 3 pieds 4 pouces de long garnie de 10 tiroirs de verny de la Chine 120 livres' in his shop as early as 1724, while on the 16 May 1750 Lazare Duvaux delivered to Madame de Pompadour: 'Une commode composée de tiroirs d'ancien lacque garnie de bronze doré d'ormolu avec le marbre d'Antin, 864 livres', which is probably the commode subsequently recorded at Saint Ouen in 1764. Likewise, Darnault commissioned BVRB's talents to execute a similar commode which is now in the Louvre (Musée du Louvre, OA 11 745).
Finally, in the 1775 inventory taken following the death of the wife of the prolific marchand Racinel de la Planche, who specialised in lacquer, there is recorded: 'Un corps de commode à 10 tiroirs de lacque noir et or, le corps plaqué en ébéne et cannelures avec cadres et anneaux de bronze doré son dessus de marbre portor 360 livres'.
JOSEPH BAUMHAUER
Of German origin, Joseph Baumhauer married in Paris in 1747 and was appointed ébéniste privilegié du Roi around 1749. Established in the rue du faubourg Saint Antoine at the sign of the 'Boule Blanche', it seems that his oeuvre was commissioned exclusively by marchands-merciers. Indeed Hébert, Heceguerre, Duvaux, Julliot, Héricourt, Darnault and Poirier are all known to have employed him. Under their influence, his oeuvre became increasingly Neo-Classical from 1759-61 (such as the Lalive de Jully coquillier, sold in these Rooms, Works of Art from Houghton, 8 December 1994, lot 80.
The shape of the feet en toupie date this commode to circa 1770, a turning point in the atelier's production. Joseph died in 1772 but his workshop flourished under his son Gaspard, who employed his father's stamp until 1776. Gaspard's stock was valued at the enormous sum of 10 600 livres, which compares intriguingly with the 3900 livres of stock left by his father in 1772.
Two further commodes, each stamped by Joseph and incorporating ten Japanese lacquer drawers, remain in private collections. The first, illustrated in A. Pradère, Les Ebénistes Français de Louis XIV à la Révolution, Paris, 1989, p. 241, was in the collection of the Earl of Warwick at Warwick Castle. Delivered in 1770, it is already recorded in an inventory of 1777. The second, still owned by the family to whom it was supplied, was described in 1783 as: 'Une autre commode à dix tiroirs deux panneaux de coté le tout de laque noir à paysages orné de moulures dorés d'ormolu avec un dessus de marbre portor 880 livres'.