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Lot Essay
This charming secrétaire-à-abattant executed by Roger Van der Cruse, dit Lacroix (‘RVLC’) forms part of a distinguished group of secrétaires by or attributed to the celebrated ébéniste and supplied through the intervention of the marchand-ébéniste Léonard Boudin. The presence of the latter’s stamp on several closely related examples indeed attests to his involvement as a ‘retailer’ and as the Comte de Salverte remarks, to the irreproachable ‘exigence de qualité’ for which he was known.
A CHINOISERIE MARQUETRY INSPIRED BY PILLEMENT
This select group of secrétaires includes an extremely closely related example with tambour doors attributed to RVLC, sold from the collection of the 2nd Baron Llangattock, Christie's London, 27 November 1958, lot 126, now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (Grog Craven bequest). The latter secrétaire is illustrated in P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIè siècle, Dijon, 2002, p.787, and reproduced here. Essentially the pair to the present secrétaire, the Louvre example is also attributed to RVLC and features Chinoiserie decoration in the same vein, and virtually identical mounts, interior arrangement and marquetry. Such distinctive Chinoiserie marquetry is featured exclusively on the Louvre secrétaire and on that here offered, all other examples in this group being solely decorated with floral sprays to the exterior. These delightful polychrome-decorated marquetry scenes featuring figures and pagodas amidst exotic trees, fruiting foliage and birds, were inspired by the engravings of Jean-Baptiste Pillement (1728-1803). These are also highly reminiscent of the scenes often found in the oeuvre of the celebrated Neuwied-based ébéniste David Roentgen, himself inspired by the designs of both Pillement and Augsburg engraver Martin Engelbrecht (1684-1756). It is interesting that Clarisse Roinet should date the present secrétaire circa 1758 precisely, as some of Pillement’s earliest engravings – those most closely related to the scenes featured on the present secrétaire - were published in 1758 in his ‘Livre de Chinois’ (ill. M. Gordon-Smith, Pillement, Cracow, 2006, pp 38-39, no. 11, and p.p.106-7, no.89).
Further related examples from this distinguished group include two secrétaires-à-abattants stamped by Boudin (again most certainly as marchand), virtually identical and both adorned with floral marquetry and pierced satyr masks to the angles. The first is in the John L. Severance Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art, whilst the second sold Sotheby’s, London, 25 June 1982, lot 132. A third recorded example stamped by Boudin sold from the collection of Mrs. T. Chrysler Foy, Sotheby Parke-Bernet, 16 May 1959, lot 323 (and again from the Estate of Frances Sachar, Sotheby's New York, 25 May 2000, lot 286).
Related examples attributed to RVLC include a tambour secrétaire, formerly in the collection of Madame de Polès, now in the Musée du Petit Palais, Paris (ill. G. Janneau, Le Meuble Léger en France, Paris, 1952, figs. 89-91), a secrétaire-a-abattant virtually identical to the Cleveland example, sold Christie’s, London, 11 June 1998, lot 115 (£194,000 with premium), and two further examples sold en suite from the collection of Martha Baird Rockefeller, Parke-Bernet Galleries, 23 October 1971, lots 709 & 710 (and again Christie's New York, 23 October 2003, lots 666 & 667).
A COLLABORATION BETWEEN LACROIX AND BOUDIN
Described by Pierre Kjellberg as one of the most talented ébénistes of the 18th Century, and instrumental in the evolution of furniture towards neo-classicism, Lacroix was born in the milieu des artisans parisiens, Faubourg Saint-Antoine in Paris in 1728. As was typical of the time when the guild system defined one’s social standing as well as one’s more personal contacts, three of Lacroix's sisters married maîtres-ébénistes amongst whom were Jean-Francois Oeben (and upon his death, Jean-Henri Riesener) and his brother Simon Oeben; whilst Lacroix’s fourth sister married the bronzier-ciseleur André Ravrio.
Elected maître in 1755, Lacroix took over his father's business and was soon supplying furniture to the ébéniste Pierre II Migeon, or directly to Madame du Barry at Louveciennes, the Garde-Meuble and the duc d'Orléans. From the beginning of his career, Lacroix specialised in the production of costly items of furniture, often embellished with intricate marquetry, such as that featured on the present secrétaire, or his signature dotted or floret-inset cube parquetry ‘aux barbeaux’, as well as sophisticated mechanical devices.
He is recorded to have worked with Léonard Boudin, maître in 1761 and later marchand-ébéniste, whose oeuvre is arguably one of the most prolific of the transitional period. Employing such ébénistes as Foullet, Denizot, Topino and Lacroix, Boudin’s stamp as marchand often appears alongside that of the maker. Boudin counted such figures as the duc de Duras, the Prince of Orange and the duchesse d'Arenberg amongst his principal patrons. More importantly, Boudin supplied furniture to the Crown through the Fournisseur du Garde-Meuble Gilles Joubert and his stamp can be found on several pieces delivered by Joubert to the comte de Provence for the Châteaux de Fontainebleau and Compiègne in 1770-1771 (A. Pradère, Les Ebénistes Français du XVIIIè siècle, Paris, 1989, pp. 271-272). Interestingly, the list of Joubert's creditors in 1774 records several of his confrères, such as Macret, Boudin, Denizot, and R.V.L.C (with the largest debt amounting to 900 livres) and fellow artisans such as the sculpteur-fondeur Etienne Forestier and ciseleur-doreur Jouniaux.
PAUL DUTASTA
The present secrétaire once formed part of the extensive and important collection of Paul Eugène Dutasta (1873-1926), French statesman and politician, until sold in Paris in June 1926 (where erroneously described as by Jacques Dubois). Dutasta held the position of French Ambassador in Switzerland between 1918 and 1920 and was elected ‘Secrétaire Général de la Conférence de la Paix’ in Paris after the war in 1919. He acted as representative of the Swiss authorities to Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau and the Allied Powers, and participated to negotiations which led to the drafting of article 435 of the Traité de Versailles which acknowledged the neutrality of Switzerland.
A CHINOISERIE MARQUETRY INSPIRED BY PILLEMENT
This select group of secrétaires includes an extremely closely related example with tambour doors attributed to RVLC, sold from the collection of the 2nd Baron Llangattock, Christie's London, 27 November 1958, lot 126, now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (Grog Craven bequest). The latter secrétaire is illustrated in P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIè siècle, Dijon, 2002, p.787, and reproduced here. Essentially the pair to the present secrétaire, the Louvre example is also attributed to RVLC and features Chinoiserie decoration in the same vein, and virtually identical mounts, interior arrangement and marquetry. Such distinctive Chinoiserie marquetry is featured exclusively on the Louvre secrétaire and on that here offered, all other examples in this group being solely decorated with floral sprays to the exterior. These delightful polychrome-decorated marquetry scenes featuring figures and pagodas amidst exotic trees, fruiting foliage and birds, were inspired by the engravings of Jean-Baptiste Pillement (1728-1803). These are also highly reminiscent of the scenes often found in the oeuvre of the celebrated Neuwied-based ébéniste David Roentgen, himself inspired by the designs of both Pillement and Augsburg engraver Martin Engelbrecht (1684-1756). It is interesting that Clarisse Roinet should date the present secrétaire circa 1758 precisely, as some of Pillement’s earliest engravings – those most closely related to the scenes featured on the present secrétaire - were published in 1758 in his ‘Livre de Chinois’ (ill. M. Gordon-Smith, Pillement, Cracow, 2006, pp 38-39, no. 11, and p.p.106-7, no.89).
Further related examples from this distinguished group include two secrétaires-à-abattants stamped by Boudin (again most certainly as marchand), virtually identical and both adorned with floral marquetry and pierced satyr masks to the angles. The first is in the John L. Severance Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art, whilst the second sold Sotheby’s, London, 25 June 1982, lot 132. A third recorded example stamped by Boudin sold from the collection of Mrs. T. Chrysler Foy, Sotheby Parke-Bernet, 16 May 1959, lot 323 (and again from the Estate of Frances Sachar, Sotheby's New York, 25 May 2000, lot 286).
Related examples attributed to RVLC include a tambour secrétaire, formerly in the collection of Madame de Polès, now in the Musée du Petit Palais, Paris (ill. G. Janneau, Le Meuble Léger en France, Paris, 1952, figs. 89-91), a secrétaire-a-abattant virtually identical to the Cleveland example, sold Christie’s, London, 11 June 1998, lot 115 (£194,000 with premium), and two further examples sold en suite from the collection of Martha Baird Rockefeller, Parke-Bernet Galleries, 23 October 1971, lots 709 & 710 (and again Christie's New York, 23 October 2003, lots 666 & 667).
A COLLABORATION BETWEEN LACROIX AND BOUDIN
Described by Pierre Kjellberg as one of the most talented ébénistes of the 18th Century, and instrumental in the evolution of furniture towards neo-classicism, Lacroix was born in the milieu des artisans parisiens, Faubourg Saint-Antoine in Paris in 1728. As was typical of the time when the guild system defined one’s social standing as well as one’s more personal contacts, three of Lacroix's sisters married maîtres-ébénistes amongst whom were Jean-Francois Oeben (and upon his death, Jean-Henri Riesener) and his brother Simon Oeben; whilst Lacroix’s fourth sister married the bronzier-ciseleur André Ravrio.
Elected maître in 1755, Lacroix took over his father's business and was soon supplying furniture to the ébéniste Pierre II Migeon, or directly to Madame du Barry at Louveciennes, the Garde-Meuble and the duc d'Orléans. From the beginning of his career, Lacroix specialised in the production of costly items of furniture, often embellished with intricate marquetry, such as that featured on the present secrétaire, or his signature dotted or floret-inset cube parquetry ‘aux barbeaux’, as well as sophisticated mechanical devices.
He is recorded to have worked with Léonard Boudin, maître in 1761 and later marchand-ébéniste, whose oeuvre is arguably one of the most prolific of the transitional period. Employing such ébénistes as Foullet, Denizot, Topino and Lacroix, Boudin’s stamp as marchand often appears alongside that of the maker. Boudin counted such figures as the duc de Duras, the Prince of Orange and the duchesse d'Arenberg amongst his principal patrons. More importantly, Boudin supplied furniture to the Crown through the Fournisseur du Garde-Meuble Gilles Joubert and his stamp can be found on several pieces delivered by Joubert to the comte de Provence for the Châteaux de Fontainebleau and Compiègne in 1770-1771 (A. Pradère, Les Ebénistes Français du XVIIIè siècle, Paris, 1989, pp. 271-272). Interestingly, the list of Joubert's creditors in 1774 records several of his confrères, such as Macret, Boudin, Denizot, and R.V.L.C (with the largest debt amounting to 900 livres) and fellow artisans such as the sculpteur-fondeur Etienne Forestier and ciseleur-doreur Jouniaux.
PAUL DUTASTA
The present secrétaire once formed part of the extensive and important collection of Paul Eugène Dutasta (1873-1926), French statesman and politician, until sold in Paris in June 1926 (where erroneously described as by Jacques Dubois). Dutasta held the position of French Ambassador in Switzerland between 1918 and 1920 and was elected ‘Secrétaire Général de la Conférence de la Paix’ in Paris after the war in 1919. He acted as representative of the Swiss authorities to Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau and the Allied Powers, and participated to negotiations which led to the drafting of article 435 of the Traité de Versailles which acknowledged the neutrality of Switzerland.