BY CHARLES CRESSENT, CIRCA 1725-35

Charles Cressent, 1685-1768, marchand-ébéniste and sculpteur.

With superb and finely chased sculptural mounts, this magnificent commode can be firmly attributed to Charles Cressent, whose fame made him one of the rare ébénistes to be mentioned by name throughout the 18th century.
Cressent designed a number of very distinctive similar commodes - the commode being a new furniture type in the early 18th century - which have been identified in the catalogue raisonné compiled by Alexandre Pradère. This study positions the present example within a group of commodes conceived in the early years of his career circa 1725-1735. The prototype of this model, made for the bishop of Meaux, now in the Musée de Bossuet in Meaux, France (illustrated in A. Pradère, Charles Cressent, Sculpteur, Ebéniste du Régent, Editions Faton, Dijon, 2003, cat. n. 80 p. 141), has a similar façade, punctuated by striking sculptural mounts and wide ‘encadrements’ mounts. Our example, with a mask of Diana and two long drawers, has shaped sides and belongs to a close variant within this group, developed after the Meaux example. These examples include the commode formerly in the collection of Surmont (op. cit. cat 83, ill. p. 273), a commode from the collection of Saint-Alary (op. cit. cat. 86, ill. p. 144), and another sold Palais Galliera, Paris, 28 November 1970, lot 86 bis (op. cit. cat. 89, ill. p. 275). Interestingly, each of these ‘Diana’ commodes have removable doors enclosing secret compartments actioned by lock plates obscured by dragon mounts.
The model of scrolling foliate handles on the present commode, however, do not appear on any other commodes by Cressent. The C couronné poinçon, the tax mark employed on alloys containing copper between 1745-49, would indicate that the handles are of a slightly later date of manufacture. This commode, such as the others made during the early career of Cressent, was mounted with loop handles which in this instance were removed and replaced by handles designed in the latest fashion. However, their fluidity of design amongst the other mounts of the façade, would suggest they might have been designed in Cressent’s workshop or by a marchand after its acquisition. Interestingly, a few commodes of this type were sold from his stock in 1749 when the tax mark was still applicable :
« n°31. Une commode de bois satiné, les ornements de bronze à cadre mis en couleur d’or, le marbre de Sainte Beaume très beau ; elle porte quatre pieds cinq pouces [143,5cm] ».
« n°39. Une commode de bois satiné, avec des cadres & ornements de bronze en couleur d’or, le marbre de Sainte Beaume, de quatre pieds quatre pouces, ou environ [140,5cm] ».

CHARLES CRESSENT

Charles Cressent is indisputably the most representative cabinetmaker of the Régence period, when instead of marquetry, fashion started to turn to furniture finished with relatively simple wood veneers, fitted with ormolu mounts of increasingly sculptural quality and splendour. In this new style, Cressent stood alone, his early training as a sculptor being evident in the originality and quality of the mounts which he produced. He became master sculptor in 1719 and a member of the Academy of Saint-Luc. He is recorded as both sculpteur and ébéniste to the duc d'Orléans, and he was constantly in difficulties with the guild of fondeurs and doreurs because, in contravention of the guild rules, he chased and gilded bronzes in his own workshop. In many instances he had even supplied models which he had created himself to the casters of his bronzes. His defence against this was that it enabled him to supervise the quality of the work and to prevent unauthorized copies being made; it has to be said that his defiance of the guild regulations has left a legacy of ormolu mounts of unparalleled distinction.

We would like to thank Alexandre Pradère for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.