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Lot Essay
Roger Vandercruse, known as Lacroix, maître in 1755.
Although achieving his maîtrise at a relatively early date, RVLC, who was related by marriage both to Jean-François Oeben and to Jean-Henri Riesener, is best known for his elegant products in the Transitional style of the 1760's and 1770's.
He worked in the early years of his career both with Oeben and with Gilles Joubert, often on commissions for the Garde Meuble Royal, and also worked extensively with the marchand-mercier Simon-Philippe Poirier.
He perfected the type of useful elegant occasional table typified by the example offered here (perhaps as a result of his frequent collaborations with Poirier), and the distinctive parquetry on this table, with a trellis of contrasting woods enclosing flowerheads, was a particular leitmotif of his.
A number of examples of this model are known, with minor variants, including:
-one in the British Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, purchased by George IV in 1829
-one at Waddesdon Manor, ilustrated in G. de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor: Furniture, Clocks and Gilt Bronzes, London, 1974, vol. II, cat. 98
-one formerly in the collection of Mrs. Henry Walters, illustrated in C. Packer, Paris Furniture by the Master Ebénistes, Newport, 1956, fig. 120
-Two in the collection of Djahanguir Riahi (one formerly in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Deane Johnson, sold Sotheby's, New York, 9 December 1972, lot 112, one formerly in the collection Mme Henry Farman, sold Palais Galliéra, Paris, 15 March 1973, lot 117)
-one with the unusual feature of spring-loaded drawers to the side, sold from the collection of André Meyer, Christie's, New York, 26 October 2001, lot 40 ($155,000 exc. premium)
-one from the Keck collection, La Lanterne, Bel Air, sold Sotheby's, New York, 5-6 December 1991 lot 258 ($159,500 inc. premium)
-one sold from a European collection, Sotheby's, Paris, 14 June 2006, lot 138 (144,000 euros inc. premium)
Although achieving his maîtrise at a relatively early date, RVLC, who was related by marriage both to Jean-François Oeben and to Jean-Henri Riesener, is best known for his elegant products in the Transitional style of the 1760's and 1770's.
He worked in the early years of his career both with Oeben and with Gilles Joubert, often on commissions for the Garde Meuble Royal, and also worked extensively with the marchand-mercier Simon-Philippe Poirier.
He perfected the type of useful elegant occasional table typified by the example offered here (perhaps as a result of his frequent collaborations with Poirier), and the distinctive parquetry on this table, with a trellis of contrasting woods enclosing flowerheads, was a particular leitmotif of his.
A number of examples of this model are known, with minor variants, including:
-one in the British Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, purchased by George IV in 1829
-one at Waddesdon Manor, ilustrated in G. de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor: Furniture, Clocks and Gilt Bronzes, London, 1974, vol. II, cat. 98
-one formerly in the collection of Mrs. Henry Walters, illustrated in C. Packer, Paris Furniture by the Master Ebénistes, Newport, 1956, fig. 120
-Two in the collection of Djahanguir Riahi (one formerly in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Deane Johnson, sold Sotheby's, New York, 9 December 1972, lot 112, one formerly in the collection Mme Henry Farman, sold Palais Galliéra, Paris, 15 March 1973, lot 117)
-one with the unusual feature of spring-loaded drawers to the side, sold from the collection of André Meyer, Christie's, New York, 26 October 2001, lot 40 ($155,000 exc. premium)
-one from the Keck collection, La Lanterne, Bel Air, sold Sotheby's, New York, 5-6 December 1991 lot 258 ($159,500 inc. premium)
-one sold from a European collection, Sotheby's, Paris, 14 June 2006, lot 138 (144,000 euros inc. premium)