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Lot Essay
The present bureau-à-cylindre was executed by the ébéniste Jacques Laurent Cosson (maître in 1765) and is particularly remarkable for its marquetry of quatrefoil-inset squares on a cube parquetry ground, and floret-inset trellis surround.
The fact that such distinctive motifs can also be found in the oeuvre of several of Cosson's fellow ébénistes (amongst whom Nicolas Petit, François Reizell and Guillaume Cordié) and that the exact same marquetry can be traced to furniture stamped by Léonard Boudin, the ébéniste cum marchand with whom all the above are recorded to have worked, further supports that this bureau was retailed by Boudin. It is indeed in the latter capacity alone that he's listed in the Almanach du Commerce of 1791.
Pierre Kjellberg thoroughly discusses this particular type of marquetry and explains that despite Boudin's apparent predilection for such exact pattern, it was most probably not the fruit of his own imagination (Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIème siècle, Dijon, 1998, p. 92). On the basis of the recurrence of this marquetry in Cosson's oeuvre, and the existence of several pieces stamped by both Cosson and Boudin, it was almost certainly the former who developed this successful 'design', whilst acting on many occasions as a sous-traitant for Boudin.
The bearded angle mounts featured on this bureau can also be found on recorded pieces either executed or retailed by Boudin, which include a coiffeuse stamped by Boudin sold Christie's, Monaco, 19 June 1999, lot 23. Virtually identical bearded masks can also be traced to pieces by René Dubois (see a secretaire illustrated ibid, p. 279, fig. C) and Philippe-Claude Montigny (see a table-en-chiffonière sold 'The Alexander Collection, Important French Furniture, Gold Boxes & Porcelain', Christie's, New York, 30 April 1999, lot 48) both of whom collaborated with Boudin.
Amongst the related examples by Cosson featuring the exact same marquetry, Pierre Kjellberg illustrates a commode ibid p.187, whilst further related commodes by the ébéniste sold at auction include a pair sold Galerie Charpentier, Paris, 8 December 1954; further pairs sold 'Collection of Mrs. V.M.J. Wilson', Christie's, London, 12 April 1973, lot 72, and Sotheby's, New York, 4 November 1989, lot 253, respectively. A bureau plat attributed to Cosson and retailed by Louis Moreau was sold 'Furniture, porcelain and silver from Longleat, Christie's, London, 13-14 June 2002, lot 435, whilst more recently, a commode à ressaut stamped by both Cosson and Boudin was sold from 'Mobilier provenant du château du Gallerande, Christie's, Paris, 30 March 2004, lot 353.
Cosson is recorded to have worked with other marchands amongst whom Pierre Macret, marchand-ébéniste privilégié du Roi suivant la cour et conseils de sa Majesté from 1756, (see a commode stamped by Macret and attributed to Cosson, featuring the same marquetry as on the present bureau sold 'Collection d'un Amateur', Christie's, Paris, 1 June 2005, lot 290).
The fact that such distinctive motifs can also be found in the oeuvre of several of Cosson's fellow ébénistes (amongst whom Nicolas Petit, François Reizell and Guillaume Cordié) and that the exact same marquetry can be traced to furniture stamped by Léonard Boudin, the ébéniste cum marchand with whom all the above are recorded to have worked, further supports that this bureau was retailed by Boudin. It is indeed in the latter capacity alone that he's listed in the Almanach du Commerce of 1791.
Pierre Kjellberg thoroughly discusses this particular type of marquetry and explains that despite Boudin's apparent predilection for such exact pattern, it was most probably not the fruit of his own imagination (Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIème siècle, Dijon, 1998, p. 92). On the basis of the recurrence of this marquetry in Cosson's oeuvre, and the existence of several pieces stamped by both Cosson and Boudin, it was almost certainly the former who developed this successful 'design', whilst acting on many occasions as a sous-traitant for Boudin.
The bearded angle mounts featured on this bureau can also be found on recorded pieces either executed or retailed by Boudin, which include a coiffeuse stamped by Boudin sold Christie's, Monaco, 19 June 1999, lot 23. Virtually identical bearded masks can also be traced to pieces by René Dubois (see a secretaire illustrated ibid, p. 279, fig. C) and Philippe-Claude Montigny (see a table-en-chiffonière sold 'The Alexander Collection, Important French Furniture, Gold Boxes & Porcelain', Christie's, New York, 30 April 1999, lot 48) both of whom collaborated with Boudin.
Amongst the related examples by Cosson featuring the exact same marquetry, Pierre Kjellberg illustrates a commode ibid p.187, whilst further related commodes by the ébéniste sold at auction include a pair sold Galerie Charpentier, Paris, 8 December 1954; further pairs sold 'Collection of Mrs. V.M.J. Wilson', Christie's, London, 12 April 1973, lot 72, and Sotheby's, New York, 4 November 1989, lot 253, respectively. A bureau plat attributed to Cosson and retailed by Louis Moreau was sold 'Furniture, porcelain and silver from Longleat, Christie's, London, 13-14 June 2002, lot 435, whilst more recently, a commode à ressaut stamped by both Cosson and Boudin was sold from 'Mobilier provenant du château du Gallerande, Christie's, Paris, 30 March 2004, lot 353.
Cosson is recorded to have worked with other marchands amongst whom Pierre Macret, marchand-ébéniste privilégié du Roi suivant la cour et conseils de sa Majesté from 1756, (see a commode stamped by Macret and attributed to Cosson, featuring the same marquetry as on the present bureau sold 'Collection d'un Amateur', Christie's, Paris, 1 June 2005, lot 290).