THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN (Lots 60-63)
A MATCHED PAIR OF LOUIS XVI ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD, AMARANTH AND MARQUETRY COMMODES A L'ANGLAISE

ONE BY ADRIEN-ANTOINE GOSSELIN, THE OTHER ATTRIBUTED TO ADRIEN-ANTOINE GOSSELIN

細節
A MATCHED PAIR OF LOUIS XVI ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD, AMARANTH AND MARQUETRY COMMODES A L'ANGLAISE
One by Adrien-Antoine Gosselin, the other attributed to Adrien-Antoine Gosselin
Banded overall in amaranth, each with semi-circular shaped and moulded grey-veined marble top above a frieze-drawer with scrolling foliate inset panel, lined with red felt, above two further drawers flanked by simulated fluted pilasters and three mirror-backed shelves with marble bases and a gallery to each middle shelf, on simulated fluted legs and toupie feet, one marble top with repaired break and the two lower sections of marble replaced, both inscribed in chalk '103XD' and 'E8344' to the reverse, both inscribed to the top in black pen '1' and '2' and each marble inscribed '1' and '2' and various numbers and letters to the underside, one stamped 'A. GOSSELIN JME', partially re-mounted
One 50 in. (127 cm.) wide; 36 in. (91.5 cm.) high; 21 in. (53.5 cm.) deep
The other 51¼ in. (130 cm.) wide; 36 in. (91.5 cm.) high; 21¾ in. (55 cm.) deep (2)
來源
The L'Arcade collection, sold in Paris, 25 May 1951, lot 85.
Anonymous sale in these Rooms, 17 April 1975, lot 56.
出版
J. Nicolay, Les Maître Ebénistes Français, Paris, 1956, p.206, fig.C.

拍品專文

These commodes, flanked by china display-shelves in the English fashion ('à l'Anglaise') introduced in the 1770's, were executed in the Versailles workshops established in the rue Duplessis by Adrien-Antoine Gosselin (maître in 1772), after he and his father Antoine Gosselin (maître in 1752) had moved from their Parisian workshops in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. The arabesque escutcheons, with Apollo masks wreathed by flowered-laurel, are a reduced version of a mount adopted by Jean-Henri Riesener, 'ébéniste ordinaire du Roi' between 1774-84, and probably supplied by Pierre Gouthière (maître in 1765), King Louis XVI's ciseleur-doreur.

Such 'commodes à l'Anglaise' enjoyed considerable popularity amongst the English aristocracy, and this was soon capitalised upon by the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre, who established his shop in Piccadilly in 1788. Extensively patronised by George, Prince of Wales, later George IV and his Court, Daguerre supplied a commode of this basic form, mounted with Sèvres plaques, for the Bow Room at Carlton House, as well as a lacquer-veneered example for Earl Spencer in 1791, which is now at Althorp.