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Lot Essay
This magnificent commode, richly mounted with a pierced C-scroll cartouche against sumptuous kingwood and tulipwood veneers, belongs to a group of three commodes which were delivered in 1783 by the ébéniste de la Couronne Jean-Henri Riesener (1734-1806) to Lemoine de Crécy, then Garde Général des Meubles de la Couronne for the château de Saint-Hubert. The group has been thoroughly studied by the former curator of the Louvre, Pierre Verlet (1908-1987), and it is exciting to find a commode from this set to come to auction.
THE CHATEAU DE SAINT-HUBERT
Located near Rambouillet, the château de Saint-Hubert was originally a modest hunting lodge for Louis XIV. Louis XV commissioned his main architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel to transform it into an important royal residence. The works started in 1761 and lasted until 1772. The foremost artists of the time were commissioned to work on the project, including the painters Bachelier and Carle Van Loo, the sculptors Caffieri, Slodtz, Pigalle and Falconet. At that date, the château had no less than 150 appartements. However, despite these extensive works, Louis XVI found the place too small and bought from the duc de Penthièvre the château de Rambouillet in December 1783. The furniture from Saint-Hubert was sent to several royal palaces, including Rambouillet, Saint-Cloud and Versailles, where this commode was sent. After decades of neglect, the château de Saint-Hubert was destroyed in 1855. Sadly very few depictions survive of the château; however, a work by Compigné, presented to the King in 1773, depicts the château with its main pavilion and two large wings.
RIESENER'S DELIVERY TO SAINT-HUBERT
The inventory number '3319' on the panelled oak back of the commode identifies it as one of the set of three commodes delivered by Riesener in 1783. One of the other commodes re-appeared on the market recently and was sold at Christie's, Paris, 25 June 2008, lot 335 (332,500 Euros) while the location of the third commode remains unknown.
The commodes are first mentioned in December 1783 in the documents of the Garde-Meuble:
17. Xbre 1783 3319 - 3 commodes en bois de rose à marbre, de 3 p½. et de 4 pieds
Two months later, they appear again:
11 février 1784. Livré par le S. Riesener, pour servir chez M. de Crézy. 3319. - Trois commodes en bois de rose à marbre, de 3 pieds . et de 4 pieds.
These entries record the delivery of the three commodes to Lemoine de Crécy and the fact that one commode was half a foot wider than the other two.
Interestingly, this commode, stamped by Joubert and supplied - and possibly also restored - by Riesener, was delivered eight years after Joubert's death. Pierre Verlet suggests the commode must have been bought by Jean-Henri Riesener in November 1775 in Joubert's sale ('vente de meubles et effets du feu Sr Joubert, ébéniste du Roi, rue Sainte-Anne, butte Saint-Roch'). At this sale, Riesener bought many pieces from Joubert, who was his predecessor as ébéniste de la Couronne.
THE DELIVERY TO VERSAILLES
The three commodes stayed at the château de Saint-Hubert for only a few months, before being sent to Versailles, in order to furnish the apartments of Gustav III, King of Sweden and Prince of Finland. The Swedish King travelled in Europe incognito as the Count of Haga, doing the almost obligatory educational journey, 'le Grand Tour'. This trip took place quite late in his live and lasted from September 1783 to August 1784.
There are three different transfers, between the 6 and the 12 May 1784.
The Versailles documents describe the three commodes:
60. Du 6 may 1784. Reçu du château de St-Hubert. [] No. 3319. - Une commode de bois de rose à placages et dessus de marbre, avec deux tiroirs fermant à clef, les entrées de serrure, portant et chaussons en cuivre doré d'or moulu, longue de 3 pds . sur 22 po. de large et 32 po. de haut []
64. Du 11 may 1784. Reçu du château de St-Hubert. [] No. 3319. - Une commode de bois de rose à dessus de marbre, avec deux tiroirs fermant à clef, les entrées de serrure, boutons et chaînons de cuivre doré, de 3 pds de long, 22 po. de large et 33 de haut.
65. Du 12 mai 1784. Reçu du château de St Hubert No. 3319. - Une commode en bois de rose et à dessus de marbre brèche d'Alep, à 3 tiroirs fermant à clef, les entrées de serrure, mains et chaussons de cuivre doré, longue de 4 pds sur 24 po. de profondeur et 33 po. de haut.
Because of its width, we can identify the present commode as having been part of the deliveries on either 6 or 11 May 1784.
THE DELIVERY TO SAINT-GERMAIN
As early as November 1784, the three commodes had been separated. The widest one was sent to Paris on the 23 November 1784 to M. Pigrais, who worked for the Garde Meuble. Five years later, on 28 December 1789, it was sent to the Tuileries for Madame Victoire, the daughter of Louis XV. One of the two other commodes, possibly the present one, was sent to the château de Saint-Germain the 7 January 1785, when it belonged to the comte d'Artois, brother of Louis XVI.
GILLES JOUBERT
The stamp of Gilles Joubert is rarely found on pieces of furniture, as stamping was not mandatory in his early career and as ébéniste de la Couronne from 1763 on he was free from guild regulations and no longer had to stamp his work. Joubert became a master circa 1715-1720 and had his workshop on rue Sainte Anne. He started working for the Crown in 1750 and when Gaudreau the Younger ceased working for the Couronne the following year the commissions increased dramatically.
With its rich but sober veneers and slightly restrained ormolu mounts, already influenced by the starting neoclassicism, this commode is representative of Joubert's late career. The ormolu mounts similarly illustrate the transition between the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles, with the C-scrolls mounts of the front still deriving from the Regence style and influenced by the work of Charles Cressent.
THE CHATEAU DE SAINT-HUBERT
Located near Rambouillet, the château de Saint-Hubert was originally a modest hunting lodge for Louis XIV. Louis XV commissioned his main architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel to transform it into an important royal residence. The works started in 1761 and lasted until 1772. The foremost artists of the time were commissioned to work on the project, including the painters Bachelier and Carle Van Loo, the sculptors Caffieri, Slodtz, Pigalle and Falconet. At that date, the château had no less than 150 appartements. However, despite these extensive works, Louis XVI found the place too small and bought from the duc de Penthièvre the château de Rambouillet in December 1783. The furniture from Saint-Hubert was sent to several royal palaces, including Rambouillet, Saint-Cloud and Versailles, where this commode was sent. After decades of neglect, the château de Saint-Hubert was destroyed in 1855. Sadly very few depictions survive of the château; however, a work by Compigné, presented to the King in 1773, depicts the château with its main pavilion and two large wings.
RIESENER'S DELIVERY TO SAINT-HUBERT
The inventory number '3319' on the panelled oak back of the commode identifies it as one of the set of three commodes delivered by Riesener in 1783. One of the other commodes re-appeared on the market recently and was sold at Christie's, Paris, 25 June 2008, lot 335 (332,500 Euros) while the location of the third commode remains unknown.
The commodes are first mentioned in December 1783 in the documents of the Garde-Meuble:
17. Xbre 1783 3319 - 3 commodes en bois de rose à marbre, de 3 p½. et de 4 pieds
Two months later, they appear again:
11 février 1784. Livré par le S. Riesener, pour servir chez M. de Crézy. 3319. - Trois commodes en bois de rose à marbre, de 3 pieds . et de 4 pieds.
These entries record the delivery of the three commodes to Lemoine de Crécy and the fact that one commode was half a foot wider than the other two.
Interestingly, this commode, stamped by Joubert and supplied - and possibly also restored - by Riesener, was delivered eight years after Joubert's death. Pierre Verlet suggests the commode must have been bought by Jean-Henri Riesener in November 1775 in Joubert's sale ('vente de meubles et effets du feu Sr Joubert, ébéniste du Roi, rue Sainte-Anne, butte Saint-Roch'). At this sale, Riesener bought many pieces from Joubert, who was his predecessor as ébéniste de la Couronne.
THE DELIVERY TO VERSAILLES
The three commodes stayed at the château de Saint-Hubert for only a few months, before being sent to Versailles, in order to furnish the apartments of Gustav III, King of Sweden and Prince of Finland. The Swedish King travelled in Europe incognito as the Count of Haga, doing the almost obligatory educational journey, 'le Grand Tour'. This trip took place quite late in his live and lasted from September 1783 to August 1784.
There are three different transfers, between the 6 and the 12 May 1784.
The Versailles documents describe the three commodes:
60. Du 6 may 1784. Reçu du château de St-Hubert. [] No. 3319. - Une commode de bois de rose à placages et dessus de marbre, avec deux tiroirs fermant à clef, les entrées de serrure, portant et chaussons en cuivre doré d'or moulu, longue de 3 pds . sur 22 po. de large et 32 po. de haut []
64. Du 11 may 1784. Reçu du château de St-Hubert. [] No. 3319. - Une commode de bois de rose à dessus de marbre, avec deux tiroirs fermant à clef, les entrées de serrure, boutons et chaînons de cuivre doré, de 3 pds de long, 22 po. de large et 33 de haut.
65. Du 12 mai 1784. Reçu du château de St Hubert No. 3319. - Une commode en bois de rose et à dessus de marbre brèche d'Alep, à 3 tiroirs fermant à clef, les entrées de serrure, mains et chaussons de cuivre doré, longue de 4 pds sur 24 po. de profondeur et 33 po. de haut.
Because of its width, we can identify the present commode as having been part of the deliveries on either 6 or 11 May 1784.
THE DELIVERY TO SAINT-GERMAIN
As early as November 1784, the three commodes had been separated. The widest one was sent to Paris on the 23 November 1784 to M. Pigrais, who worked for the Garde Meuble. Five years later, on 28 December 1789, it was sent to the Tuileries for Madame Victoire, the daughter of Louis XV. One of the two other commodes, possibly the present one, was sent to the château de Saint-Germain the 7 January 1785, when it belonged to the comte d'Artois, brother of Louis XVI.
GILLES JOUBERT
The stamp of Gilles Joubert is rarely found on pieces of furniture, as stamping was not mandatory in his early career and as ébéniste de la Couronne from 1763 on he was free from guild regulations and no longer had to stamp his work. Joubert became a master circa 1715-1720 and had his workshop on rue Sainte Anne. He started working for the Crown in 1750 and when Gaudreau the Younger ceased working for the Couronne the following year the commissions increased dramatically.
With its rich but sober veneers and slightly restrained ormolu mounts, already influenced by the starting neoclassicism, this commode is representative of Joubert's late career. The ormolu mounts similarly illustrate the transition between the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles, with the C-scrolls mounts of the front still deriving from the Regence style and influenced by the work of Charles Cressent.