拍品專文
While unstamped, this exceptional little secrétaire can be firmly attributed to Riesener on both stylistic and technical grounds. The distinctive Apollo mask in the frieze places it amongst a small group of pieces produced by Riesener during the 1780's that share this feature:
A console desserte in the Frick Collection, New York (illustrated in T. Dell, The Frick Collection, vol. VI, 1992, pp. 92-95)
A commode with open shelves in the Frick Collection (illustrated in Dell, op. cit., pp. 62-69)
A console desserte from the collection of Mme. Pierre Schlumberger, sold Sotheby's Monaco, 26 February 1992, lot 45
A console desserte from the collection of Mme. de Polès, sold Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 22-24 June 1927, lot 296
A jewel cabinet made for the Comtesse de Provence in 1787 (illustrated in G.F. Laking, The Furniture of Windsor Castle, 1905, p. 147)
A console desserte from the collection of Judge Elbert Gary, sold American Art Association, New York, 19-21 April 1928, lot 276
A console desserte in the collection of the Duchess of Alba, Palacio Liria, Madrid
A secrétaire à abattant from the collection of the Earls of Rosebery, sold Sotheby's London, 14 June 1991, lot 188
Other gilt bronze mounts on the secrétaire also appear on other notable examples of Riesener's work. The ovolo border and fluted frieze with three different types of chandelles are used on the Frick commode cited above as well as a commode made in 1784 for Marie-Antoinette's private apartments at the château des Tulieries (illustrated in D. Alcouffe et. al., Furniture Collections in the Louvre, vol. I, 1993, p. 280, no. 93). The ribbon-tied border below the drawer is found on a writing-table in the Louvre (illustrated in Alcouffe, op. cit., p. 274, no. 90) and on a mechanical desk illustrated in P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe Siècle, 1989, p. 709, fig. C. The escutcheon on the fall-front is also found on a fall-front to a secrétaire formerly in the Eugene Kraemer collection (illustrated in A. Pradêre, French Furniture Makers, 1989, p. 379, fig. 459). The distinctive escutcheons on the side doors of the base appear only in an identical place on a commode à encoignures formerly at Mentmore Towers, Buckinghamshire, sold Sotheby's, 19 May 1977, lot 438.
Only one other example by Riesener of this highly unusual form is known: a virtually identical example from the collection of Baron Edouard de Rothschild (information kindly provided by Theodore Dell) which appeared in the sale of the famous marchand Maelrondt in Paris on November 15, 1824:
n. 331 un joli secrétaire en bois d'acajou à étagères sur les côtés; le panneau supérieur est orné d'un médaillon en fer représentant Louis XIV et Marie Thérèse avec entourage en bronze doré, le panneau inférieur est orné d'un bas-relief en bronze doré représentant deux colombes et autres accessoires. L'entablement surmonté d'une galerie en cuivre doré et d'un marbre blanc est orné d'un bas-relief figurant le soleil et d'autres ornements en bronze doré
The only significant difference between the two is the presence of the medallions on the two central doors on the Maelrondt example.
This lot also exhibits many of the technical refinements typical of Riesener's finest production: the hollow-chamfered drawer bottoms fixed with screws; the double-locking mechanism which encloses the fall-front and frieze drawer at once; and the panelled back which is also attached with screws to allow access to the interior in the event the key is lost.
A console desserte in the Frick Collection, New York (illustrated in T. Dell, The Frick Collection, vol. VI, 1992, pp. 92-95)
A commode with open shelves in the Frick Collection (illustrated in Dell, op. cit., pp. 62-69)
A console desserte from the collection of Mme. Pierre Schlumberger, sold Sotheby's Monaco, 26 February 1992, lot 45
A console desserte from the collection of Mme. de Polès, sold Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 22-24 June 1927, lot 296
A jewel cabinet made for the Comtesse de Provence in 1787 (illustrated in G.F. Laking, The Furniture of Windsor Castle, 1905, p. 147)
A console desserte from the collection of Judge Elbert Gary, sold American Art Association, New York, 19-21 April 1928, lot 276
A console desserte in the collection of the Duchess of Alba, Palacio Liria, Madrid
A secrétaire à abattant from the collection of the Earls of Rosebery, sold Sotheby's London, 14 June 1991, lot 188
Other gilt bronze mounts on the secrétaire also appear on other notable examples of Riesener's work. The ovolo border and fluted frieze with three different types of chandelles are used on the Frick commode cited above as well as a commode made in 1784 for Marie-Antoinette's private apartments at the château des Tulieries (illustrated in D. Alcouffe et. al., Furniture Collections in the Louvre, vol. I, 1993, p. 280, no. 93). The ribbon-tied border below the drawer is found on a writing-table in the Louvre (illustrated in Alcouffe, op. cit., p. 274, no. 90) and on a mechanical desk illustrated in P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe Siècle, 1989, p. 709, fig. C. The escutcheon on the fall-front is also found on a fall-front to a secrétaire formerly in the Eugene Kraemer collection (illustrated in A. Pradêre, French Furniture Makers, 1989, p. 379, fig. 459). The distinctive escutcheons on the side doors of the base appear only in an identical place on a commode à encoignures formerly at Mentmore Towers, Buckinghamshire, sold Sotheby's, 19 May 1977, lot 438.
Only one other example by Riesener of this highly unusual form is known: a virtually identical example from the collection of Baron Edouard de Rothschild (information kindly provided by Theodore Dell) which appeared in the sale of the famous marchand Maelrondt in Paris on November 15, 1824:
n. 331 un joli secrétaire en bois d'acajou à étagères sur les côtés; le panneau supérieur est orné d'un médaillon en fer représentant Louis XIV et Marie Thérèse avec entourage en bronze doré, le panneau inférieur est orné d'un bas-relief en bronze doré représentant deux colombes et autres accessoires. L'entablement surmonté d'une galerie en cuivre doré et d'un marbre blanc est orné d'un bas-relief figurant le soleil et d'autres ornements en bronze doré
The only significant difference between the two is the presence of the medallions on the two central doors on the Maelrondt example.
This lot also exhibits many of the technical refinements typical of Riesener's finest production: the hollow-chamfered drawer bottoms fixed with screws; the double-locking mechanism which encloses the fall-front and frieze drawer at once; and the panelled back which is also attached with screws to allow access to the interior in the event the key is lost.