Lot Essay
Simon Oeben, maître in 1769
The inventory of the château of Chanteloup of 1787 (Archives de la Maison de France 300 AP 2006B) lists:
Dans la garde-robe d'un appartment du château est signalé: "une table de nuit de placage satiné avec tablette de marbre et tiroirs".
A further bedside table, with two marquetry tambour shutters, was in the collection of Marcel Boussac
Château de Chanteloup
Etienne François de Choiseul Stainville, who became governor of Touraine in 1760, bought the estate of Chanteloup in 1763. The château, rebuilt in 1711 by the architect Robert de Cotte, was then a simple keep with two short wings.
The duc de Choiseul, assisted by the architect Lecamus, enlarged and modernised the buildings. In 1765, when the works had been completed, the duc and the duchesse settled into the new residence.
The delivery of the table can therefore be dated to circa 1765. Decorated à la mode, Chanteloup was not furnished as the residence of a financier. There was no ostentatious luxury; good taste, quality and simplicity prevailed, which was appropriate for a country house. Claude Etienne Michard, ménuisier habituel to the duc delivered most of the furnishings.
The ébéniste Simon Oeben, brother of Jean-François Oeben, ébéniste du Roi, furnished the apartments of the château.
The relationships between clients and furniture-makers were very significant in the 18th Century. The brothers Oeben were ébénistes to Madame de Pompadour. It was therefore almost given that the minister of Louis XV, who owed his position to the favourite of the King, would employ the same craftsmen. The sister of the duc de Choiseul, the famous duchesse de Grammont also employed Simon Oeben, in order to furnish her hotel at the corner of the boulevard and the present rue Drouot.
Between 1765 and 1770, the duc rarely stayed at Chanteloup due to his responsibilities in Paris, contrary to his wife who spent the Summer there. From 24 December 1770 the duc was in exile at Chanteloup, which thence enjoyed four years of splendour, with all the political opponents and intellectual elite meeting there. The death of Louis XV freed the duc from his exile. He died in Paris in 1785.
The château de Chanteloup and its furniture was sold on 20 July 1786 to the duc de Penthièvre, Grand Amiral de France and grandson of Louis XIV. After the death of the duc de Penthièvre in 1793, his possessions were passed on to his daughter, the duchesse d'Orléans.
When she was imprisoned her posessions were seized, and on 5 March 1794, after an inventory was drawn up, largely sold. This was almost certainly also the case with this table.
Simon Oeben
Simon Oeben became maître-ébéniste to the King on 22 October 1764, replacing his brother Jean-François who died in 1763. Simon Oeben provided may pieces of furniture to the Marquis de Marigny for the château de Ménars. After the death of the ébéniste in 1786, the duc de Chatelet wrote:
cet artiste a travaillé bien longtemps pour tous les gens considérables et en prticulier pour Monsieur le duc de Choiseul
This is confirmed by the inventory drawn up after the duc's death, where the ébéniste is still credited for an amount of 69 livres.
The geometrical pattern of the panels can further be found on: a piece of furniture stamped by Simon Oeben, sold Ader Picard Tajan, Paris, 22 November 1987, lot 228 a commode in Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Lyon, inv. 1225 a commode, sold Drouot, Arcole, 14 Decembre 1988, lot 175.
The inventory of the château of Chanteloup of 1787 (Archives de la Maison de France 300 AP 2006B) lists:
Dans la garde-robe d'un appartment du château est signalé: "une table de nuit de placage satiné avec tablette de marbre et tiroirs".
A further bedside table, with two marquetry tambour shutters, was in the collection of Marcel Boussac
Château de Chanteloup
Etienne François de Choiseul Stainville, who became governor of Touraine in 1760, bought the estate of Chanteloup in 1763. The château, rebuilt in 1711 by the architect Robert de Cotte, was then a simple keep with two short wings.
The duc de Choiseul, assisted by the architect Lecamus, enlarged and modernised the buildings. In 1765, when the works had been completed, the duc and the duchesse settled into the new residence.
The delivery of the table can therefore be dated to circa 1765. Decorated à la mode, Chanteloup was not furnished as the residence of a financier. There was no ostentatious luxury; good taste, quality and simplicity prevailed, which was appropriate for a country house. Claude Etienne Michard, ménuisier habituel to the duc delivered most of the furnishings.
The ébéniste Simon Oeben, brother of Jean-François Oeben, ébéniste du Roi, furnished the apartments of the château.
The relationships between clients and furniture-makers were very significant in the 18th Century. The brothers Oeben were ébénistes to Madame de Pompadour. It was therefore almost given that the minister of Louis XV, who owed his position to the favourite of the King, would employ the same craftsmen. The sister of the duc de Choiseul, the famous duchesse de Grammont also employed Simon Oeben, in order to furnish her hotel at the corner of the boulevard and the present rue Drouot.
Between 1765 and 1770, the duc rarely stayed at Chanteloup due to his responsibilities in Paris, contrary to his wife who spent the Summer there. From 24 December 1770 the duc was in exile at Chanteloup, which thence enjoyed four years of splendour, with all the political opponents and intellectual elite meeting there. The death of Louis XV freed the duc from his exile. He died in Paris in 1785.
The château de Chanteloup and its furniture was sold on 20 July 1786 to the duc de Penthièvre, Grand Amiral de France and grandson of Louis XIV. After the death of the duc de Penthièvre in 1793, his possessions were passed on to his daughter, the duchesse d'Orléans.
When she was imprisoned her posessions were seized, and on 5 March 1794, after an inventory was drawn up, largely sold. This was almost certainly also the case with this table.
Simon Oeben
Simon Oeben became maître-ébéniste to the King on 22 October 1764, replacing his brother Jean-François who died in 1763. Simon Oeben provided may pieces of furniture to the Marquis de Marigny for the château de Ménars. After the death of the ébéniste in 1786, the duc de Chatelet wrote:
cet artiste a travaillé bien longtemps pour tous les gens considérables et en prticulier pour Monsieur le duc de Choiseul
This is confirmed by the inventory drawn up after the duc's death, where the ébéniste is still credited for an amount of 69 livres.
The geometrical pattern of the panels can further be found on: a piece of furniture stamped by Simon Oeben, sold Ader Picard Tajan, Paris, 22 November 1987, lot 228 a commode in Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Lyon, inv. 1225 a commode, sold Drouot, Arcole, 14 Decembre 1988, lot 175.