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Lot Essay
Charles Topino, maître in 1773
Nicolas Lannuier, maître in 1783
The presence of two stamps on this impressive lacquer-inset commode à l'anglaise indicates that the commode was produced by Topino, but ordered by Lannuier (in the capacity of marchand-ébéniste). It must have been executed, paid for and delivered between 1783, the date of Lannuier's maîtrise, and Topino's bankruptcy in 1789, where Lannuier was mentioned as a client. The luxurious use of lacquer and its fashionable form 'da l'anglaise, a type which was promoted by Dominique Daguerre, possibly also points to the involvement of a further marchand-mercier.
CHARLES TOPINO
Topino worked for much of his career on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine. He worked almost exclusively for marchands-merciers, who were largely the cause of his bankruptcy in 1789, when his stock was valued at 16,000 livres, in contrast to money owed by his clients of 32,498 livres, of which only half could be recovered.
Lacquer pieces are rare in Topino's oeuvre. Among the few examples are a commode from the château d'Ermenonville, sold Paris, 8 March 1933, lot 109, and two secretaires, one sold Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 22 June 1928, lot 78, and one formerly in the collection of Dubois Chefdebiens, sold Paris, 13-14 February 1941, lot 109.
NICOLAS LANNUIER
Nicolas-Louis-Cyrille Lannuier started his career at a young age with the cabinet-maker Jean-Baptiste Cochois, whose workshop was near that of the celebrated ébéniste Roger Vandercruse (known as Lacroix), who worked almost exclusively for marchands-merciers such as Simon-Philippe Poirier.
After achieving his maîtrise, he rapidly developed his business as a marchand as well as an ébéniste. Based on the rue Saint-Thomas du Louvre, his workshop was evidently an important one, as an inventory valued the stock at 18,638 livres and his assets at 28,566 livres, a considerable amount for the period.
He specialized in meubles de luxe such as mechanical tables, cylinder bureaux, commodes and consoles desserte, all richly mounted with gilt-bronzes. His work falls broadly into two categories: a small number of pieces ornamented with highly refined marquetry of flowers, fruit and trophies, and a larger group of pieces characterized by a sober use of mahogany of high quality.
There are few documents which point to his active collaboration with other ébénistes. However the name of 'Lannuié' (presumably for Nicolas Lannuier) appears in the bankruptcy documents of Charles Topino as a creditor. Moreover a further console exists with the double stamp of Lannuier and Topino (illustrated in P.M. Kenny, Honoré Lannuier, Cabinet-maker from Paris, New York, 1998, p.20, fig. 10). Lannuier's stamp also appears alongside that of Ferdinand Bury on a work table, formerly with Michael Werner, New York.
Lannuier's brother Honoré moved to America and became one of the most celebrated of cabinet-makers of early 19th century New York, enjoying a glittering career catering to the elite of East coast society with high quality luxury pieces much influenced by his brother's oeuvre, many of which are now in distinguished museum collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Winterthur and the Art Institue of Chicago.
NICOLAS LANNUIER'S CLIENTS
Between 1788 and 1790, Lannuier delivered several pieces to Monsieur Montholon for his new hôtel built by the architect Lequeu.
The duc d'Orléans, the future king Louis-Philippe, ordered from him in 1787 for 550 furniture for his château de Gennevilliers for 550 livres, and then a table in 1788 for his château de Raincy and a number of pieces in 1788 for the château de Saint Leu. The Comte de Provence, brother of Louis XVI was also a client, while he also titled himself ébéniste ordinaire de son altesse sérenissime Monseigneur le Prince de Condé.
RELATED BRONZES
The same ormolu frieze appears on several pieces of high quality ébénisterie, as follows:
-a pair of ebonized and lacquer consoles desserte by Topino in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Lyon
-a pair of encoignures by Roger Vandercruse, known as Lacroix, sold Christie's Monaco, 19 June 1999, lot 108
-a marquetry commode by Lannuier, sold Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 13-14 February, lot 111
The bronze border framing the lacquer panel is identical to that on a secretaire by Topino, formerly with Segoura, Paris.
Nicolas Lannuier, maître in 1783
The presence of two stamps on this impressive lacquer-inset commode à l'anglaise indicates that the commode was produced by Topino, but ordered by Lannuier (in the capacity of marchand-ébéniste). It must have been executed, paid for and delivered between 1783, the date of Lannuier's maîtrise, and Topino's bankruptcy in 1789, where Lannuier was mentioned as a client. The luxurious use of lacquer and its fashionable form 'da l'anglaise, a type which was promoted by Dominique Daguerre, possibly also points to the involvement of a further marchand-mercier.
CHARLES TOPINO
Topino worked for much of his career on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine. He worked almost exclusively for marchands-merciers, who were largely the cause of his bankruptcy in 1789, when his stock was valued at 16,000 livres, in contrast to money owed by his clients of 32,498 livres, of which only half could be recovered.
Lacquer pieces are rare in Topino's oeuvre. Among the few examples are a commode from the château d'Ermenonville, sold Paris, 8 March 1933, lot 109, and two secretaires, one sold Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 22 June 1928, lot 78, and one formerly in the collection of Dubois Chefdebiens, sold Paris, 13-14 February 1941, lot 109.
NICOLAS LANNUIER
Nicolas-Louis-Cyrille Lannuier started his career at a young age with the cabinet-maker Jean-Baptiste Cochois, whose workshop was near that of the celebrated ébéniste Roger Vandercruse (known as Lacroix), who worked almost exclusively for marchands-merciers such as Simon-Philippe Poirier.
After achieving his maîtrise, he rapidly developed his business as a marchand as well as an ébéniste. Based on the rue Saint-Thomas du Louvre, his workshop was evidently an important one, as an inventory valued the stock at 18,638 livres and his assets at 28,566 livres, a considerable amount for the period.
He specialized in meubles de luxe such as mechanical tables, cylinder bureaux, commodes and consoles desserte, all richly mounted with gilt-bronzes. His work falls broadly into two categories: a small number of pieces ornamented with highly refined marquetry of flowers, fruit and trophies, and a larger group of pieces characterized by a sober use of mahogany of high quality.
There are few documents which point to his active collaboration with other ébénistes. However the name of 'Lannuié' (presumably for Nicolas Lannuier) appears in the bankruptcy documents of Charles Topino as a creditor. Moreover a further console exists with the double stamp of Lannuier and Topino (illustrated in P.M. Kenny, Honoré Lannuier, Cabinet-maker from Paris, New York, 1998, p.20, fig. 10). Lannuier's stamp also appears alongside that of Ferdinand Bury on a work table, formerly with Michael Werner, New York.
Lannuier's brother Honoré moved to America and became one of the most celebrated of cabinet-makers of early 19th century New York, enjoying a glittering career catering to the elite of East coast society with high quality luxury pieces much influenced by his brother's oeuvre, many of which are now in distinguished museum collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Winterthur and the Art Institue of Chicago.
NICOLAS LANNUIER'S CLIENTS
Between 1788 and 1790, Lannuier delivered several pieces to Monsieur Montholon for his new hôtel built by the architect Lequeu.
The duc d'Orléans, the future king Louis-Philippe, ordered from him in 1787 for 550 furniture for his château de Gennevilliers for 550 livres, and then a table in 1788 for his château de Raincy and a number of pieces in 1788 for the château de Saint Leu. The Comte de Provence, brother of Louis XVI was also a client, while he also titled himself ébéniste ordinaire de son altesse sérenissime Monseigneur le Prince de Condé.
RELATED BRONZES
The same ormolu frieze appears on several pieces of high quality ébénisterie, as follows:
-a pair of ebonized and lacquer consoles desserte by Topino in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Lyon
-a pair of encoignures by Roger Vandercruse, known as Lacroix, sold Christie's Monaco, 19 June 1999, lot 108
-a marquetry commode by Lannuier, sold Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 13-14 February, lot 111
The bronze border framing the lacquer panel is identical to that on a secretaire by Topino, formerly with Segoura, Paris.