Lot Essay
The parquetry decoration on the interior drawers is characteristic of Simon Oeben, maître in 1769
The distinctive bacchic ram angle-mounts, simulate fluting to the angles and marquetry of vases, appear on a related Dutch neo-classical breakfront commode in the French Grecian style in the Museum Flehite, Amersfoort, illustrated .......... Edele Eenvoud Neo-Classicism in Nederland 1765-1800, p. 122. A similar commode and two cupboards with the same corner mounts with separately cast laurel-swags suspended from ram's head masks ... what ??? The acanthus-scrolled apron mount appears in engravings from a Birmingham metalworker's trade catalogue (illustrated .....) used by the leading Amsterdam cabinet-maker Andries Bougen, (d. 1792). The trompe l'oeil marquetry panels are probably inspired by six plates of Vases nouveaux in the neo-classical style published in 1765 by Maurice Jacques (1712-1784) widely used in France, Holland and England. This form of marquetry decoration was popularised in France by Charles Topino, maître in 1773. The fish-scale pattern parquetry of the interior also appears on pieces by Jean-François and Simen Oeben.
The popularity of French neo-classical furnityre in Amsterdam and the ban on its importation in 1771 provided a great stimulus to the Amsterdam cabinet-makers. Andries Bougen was the first to advertise furniture in the French manner in December 1766. Other cabinet-makers working the French style included Arnoldus Gerritsen, Johan Jobst Swenebart, both Germans
The distinctive bacchic ram angle-mounts, simulate fluting to the angles and marquetry of vases, appear on a related Dutch neo-classical breakfront commode in the French Grecian style in the Museum Flehite, Amersfoort, illustrated .......... Edele Eenvoud Neo-Classicism in Nederland 1765-1800, p. 122. A similar commode and two cupboards with the same corner mounts with separately cast laurel-swags suspended from ram's head masks ... what ??? The acanthus-scrolled apron mount appears in engravings from a Birmingham metalworker's trade catalogue (illustrated .....) used by the leading Amsterdam cabinet-maker Andries Bougen, (d. 1792). The trompe l'oeil marquetry panels are probably inspired by six plates of Vases nouveaux in the neo-classical style published in 1765 by Maurice Jacques (1712-1784) widely used in France, Holland and England. This form of marquetry decoration was popularised in France by Charles Topino, maître in 1773. The fish-scale pattern parquetry of the interior also appears on pieces by Jean-François and Simen Oeben.
The popularity of French neo-classical furnityre in Amsterdam and the ban on its importation in 1771 provided a great stimulus to the Amsterdam cabinet-makers. Andries Bougen was the first to advertise furniture in the French manner in December 1766. Other cabinet-makers working the French style included Arnoldus Gerritsen, Johan Jobst Swenebart, both Germans