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Lot Essay
Charles Topino, maître in 1773
Established on the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, Charles Topino was renowned for his work as a specialist marqueteur supplying the most celebrated marchand-merciers and marchand-ébénistes including Héricourt, Dautriche, Migeon, Denizot, Moreau, Delorme, Tuart, and Boudin. Much of of his work includes the depiction of 'naif' or still-lifes but he also worked in floral marquetry or in the geometric patterns found on this commode, combined with the use of floral sprays to the frize.
Despite his distinguished client list and his election to député of his guild, which displays the high esteem in which he was held, in 1782, Topino appears to have struggled financially and was finally declared bankrupt in December 1789. Salverte commented that his finances were in the greatest disorder, further worsened by the revolution and it is possible that his stock was priced too modestly. In his Daybook, covering the period between circa 1771-circa 1779 (Archives de la Seine, D5 B6 395) are listed among other items chests of drawers, four feet in width and priced to include their mounts at between 120 and 210 livres.
A similar commode, with floral trellis patterned marquetry is illustrated in P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1989, p. 844, fig.B.
Established on the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, Charles Topino was renowned for his work as a specialist marqueteur supplying the most celebrated marchand-merciers and marchand-ébénistes including Héricourt, Dautriche, Migeon, Denizot, Moreau, Delorme, Tuart, and Boudin. Much of of his work includes the depiction of 'naif' or still-lifes but he also worked in floral marquetry or in the geometric patterns found on this commode, combined with the use of floral sprays to the frize.
Despite his distinguished client list and his election to député of his guild, which displays the high esteem in which he was held, in 1782, Topino appears to have struggled financially and was finally declared bankrupt in December 1789. Salverte commented that his finances were in the greatest disorder, further worsened by the revolution and it is possible that his stock was priced too modestly. In his Daybook, covering the period between circa 1771-circa 1779 (Archives de la Seine, D5 B6 395) are listed among other items chests of drawers, four feet in width and priced to include their mounts at between 120 and 210 livres.
A similar commode, with floral trellis patterned marquetry is illustrated in P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1989, p. 844, fig.B.