Lot Essay
THIS ELEGANT CYLINDER-BUREAU EPITOMISES THE FRENCH CURRENT IN DUTCH CABINET-MAKING, AND IS CLOSELY RELATED TO A NUMBER OF ITEMS OF FURNITURE ATTRIBUTED TO THE CELEBRATED HAGUE CABINET-MAKER MATTHIJS HORRIX (1735-1809). HORRIX, WHO BECAME MR KABINETWERKER IN 1764, WAS THE PRINCIPAL SUPPLIER OF FURNITURE TO THE STADHOLDER'S COURT BETWEEN 1767 AND 1795. THE STADHOLDER'S CONSORT, PRINCESS WILHELMINA OF PRUSSIA, PARTICULARLY ADMIRED HIS WORK: VIRTUALLY ALL HER YEARLY PRIVATE ACCOUNTS SHOW EVIDENCE OF HORRIX'S LUXURIOUS MARQUETRY FURNITURE. (R.J. BAARSEN, ''IN DE COMMODE VAN PARIJS TOT DEN HAAG', MATTHIJS HORRIX (1735-1809), EEN MEUBELMAKER IN DEN HAAG IN DE TWEEDE HELFT VAN DE 18DE EEUW' OUD HOLLAND 107(1993), PP. 166, 169-170, 172.
SEVERAL ELEMENTS OF THE MARQUETRY DECORATION OF THIS CYLINDER-BUREAU, SUCH AS THE RIBBON-TIED FLORAL MEDALLIONS AND THE SQUARE PATERAE, APPEAR AS A REGULAR FEATURE ON HORRIX'S LOUIS XVI FURNITURE OF THE 1770S. THE MEDALLIONS, FOR INSTANCE, EMBELLISH THE CENTRAL FRONT PANEL OF TWO COMMODES (SOLD ANONYMOUSLY AT SOTHEBY'S, 13 DECEMBER 1991, LOT 223 AND SOLD FROM THE PROPERTY OF THE LATE MISS SYBELLA JANE BAILEY, AT CHRISTIE'S LONDON, 18 MAY 1995, LOT 263) AND THE SIDES OF A COMMODE AT SCHLOSS BENRATH NEAR DSSELDORF. IN ADDITION, SIMILAR MEDALLIONS APPEAR ON THE FALL-FRONT OF A SECRETAIRE A ABATTANT, AND ON THE DOOR OF AN ENCOIGNURE AND A SMALL CUPBOARD. (BAARSEN, IBID, PP. 208-211, FIGS 45 AND 48-50)
AT PRESENT THE DOCUMENTED OEUVRE OF HORRIX DOES INCLUDE A A CYLINDER BUREAU AND THIS TYPE OF FURNITURE IS NOT MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY IN THE COURT ACCOUNTS. HOWEVER, SECRETAIRES APPEAR ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, A PHRASE WHICH WAS ALSO USED TO DESCRIBE A CYLINDER BUREAU. ONE EXAMPLE IS MENTIONED BY PRINCESS WILHELMINA IN A LETTER TO HER DAUGHTER, IN WHICH SHE LISTS THE PRESENTS PRINCE FREDERIK RECEIVED FOR HIS 19TH BIRTHDAY: VOUS SEREZ CURIESE DE SAVOIR, CE QUE FRITZ A REU. JE VOUS LE RACONTERAI. DE SON PèRE DE L'ARGENTERIE; DE MOI UNE VAISSELLE DE CAMPAGNE EN FER BLANC ET UN SECRéTAIRE EXTRêMEMENT COMMODE ET BIEN ARRANGé; HORRIX Y A DéVELOPPé TOUS SES TALENS. A FURTHER LETTER BY PRINCESS WILHELMINA TO PRINCE FREDERICK CLARIFIES THAT THIS SECRETAIRE WAS INDEED A CYLINDER BUREAU. (BAARSEN, IBID, P. 179 AND NOTE 112)
SEVERAL ELEMENTS OF THE MARQUETRY DECORATION OF THIS CYLINDER-BUREAU, SUCH AS THE RIBBON-TIED FLORAL MEDALLIONS AND THE SQUARE PATERAE, APPEAR AS A REGULAR FEATURE ON HORRIX'S LOUIS XVI FURNITURE OF THE 1770S. THE MEDALLIONS, FOR INSTANCE, EMBELLISH THE CENTRAL FRONT PANEL OF TWO COMMODES (SOLD ANONYMOUSLY AT SOTHEBY'S, 13 DECEMBER 1991, LOT 223 AND SOLD FROM THE PROPERTY OF THE LATE MISS SYBELLA JANE BAILEY, AT CHRISTIE'S LONDON, 18 MAY 1995, LOT 263) AND THE SIDES OF A COMMODE AT SCHLOSS BENRATH NEAR DSSELDORF. IN ADDITION, SIMILAR MEDALLIONS APPEAR ON THE FALL-FRONT OF A SECRETAIRE A ABATTANT, AND ON THE DOOR OF AN ENCOIGNURE AND A SMALL CUPBOARD. (BAARSEN, IBID, PP. 208-211, FIGS 45 AND 48-50)
AT PRESENT THE DOCUMENTED OEUVRE OF HORRIX DOES INCLUDE A A CYLINDER BUREAU AND THIS TYPE OF FURNITURE IS NOT MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY IN THE COURT ACCOUNTS. HOWEVER, SECRETAIRES APPEAR ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, A PHRASE WHICH WAS ALSO USED TO DESCRIBE A CYLINDER BUREAU. ONE EXAMPLE IS MENTIONED BY PRINCESS WILHELMINA IN A LETTER TO HER DAUGHTER, IN WHICH SHE LISTS THE PRESENTS PRINCE FREDERIK RECEIVED FOR HIS 19TH BIRTHDAY: VOUS SEREZ CURIESE DE SAVOIR, CE QUE FRITZ A REU. JE VOUS LE RACONTERAI. DE SON PèRE DE L'ARGENTERIE; DE MOI UNE VAISSELLE DE CAMPAGNE EN FER BLANC ET UN SECRéTAIRE EXTRêMEMENT COMMODE ET BIEN ARRANGé; HORRIX Y A DéVELOPPé TOUS SES TALENS. A FURTHER LETTER BY PRINCESS WILHELMINA TO PRINCE FREDERICK CLARIFIES THAT THIS SECRETAIRE WAS INDEED A CYLINDER BUREAU. (BAARSEN, IBID, P. 179 AND NOTE 112)