Lot Essay
The jewel-like palmette-frieze relates to several bronze mounts used by the ébéniste Bernard Molitor in his early oeuvre. In fact, the frieze is a more compact variation of the alternating palmette and anthemion friezes of a secrétaire and a commode, reputedly made for Mesdames at Bellevue circa 1787-90, which are illustrated in A. Pradère, French Furniture Makers, Paris, 1989, pp. 426-427, figs. 526-527. At the time of the execution of this console, Molitor worked with the bronzier Françios Rémond, who was one of the main suppliers of bronzes to Jean-Henri Riesener and David Roentgen, and to the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre.
Although Rémond is only recorded as having supplied bronzes to Molitor directly on one occassion, namely for a cylinder bureau executed in 1787 and which is in the J. Paul Getty Museum (U. Leben, Bernard Molitor 1755-1833, Luxembourg, 1995, p. 108, figs. 8-10), it is very likely that Molitor obtained bronzes from Rémond through Daguerre.
Although Rémond is only recorded as having supplied bronzes to Molitor directly on one occassion, namely for a cylinder bureau executed in 1787 and which is in the J. Paul Getty Museum (U. Leben, Bernard Molitor 1755-1833, Luxembourg, 1995, p. 108, figs. 8-10), it is very likely that Molitor obtained bronzes from Rémond through Daguerre.