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Lot Essay
This commode, together with its pair now in the Louvre, was delivered in 1787 for Madame Thierry de Ville d'Avray's Bedroom in the Hôtel du Garde-Meuble. She was the wife of the commissaire général of the Garde-Meuble. The commission was recorded as follows:
Mémoire d'Hauré. 2 semestre 1787.- ... Paris. Suitte du service de Monsieur le Commissaire Général. Chambre de Madame Thierry...Fourni deux commodes en bois d'acajou laiteux de 5 de longuer à vantaux et 5. tiroirs fermant à clef, ornées de moulures unie, moulures en rais-de-coeur, moulures en bretés, frises de 3 pouces de hauteur à canneaux et double fleurons entre lesdits canneaux, les deux pilastres de face décorés de figure en guaine antique avec corbeil, sabots, chapitaux, le tout doré d'or moulu, à l'exception des bustes et des pieds des guaines qui sont passés au verde antique comme produit par le temps, avec dessus de marbre bleu turquin Benneman.- Ebenisterie...............................861 1 Micel.- Serrurerie.................................188 1 Forestier.- Fonte..................................266 1 3 s Thomire et Bardin. -Tournure et ciselure.................589 1
Chaudron. - Dorure d'or moulu............................948 1 10 s Lanfant. - Dessus de marbre bleu turquin
5 p sur 2 ps et un pouce d'épaisseur
avec gorge, toisant 10 ps à 7 l le pied, pour
un 70 1, le deux.................................140 1
Journées du S'Benneman et faux frais.................300 1 1
The work was carried out under the direction of the sculptor Jean Hauré who was also most probably the designer. Guillaume Benneman, ébéniste au service de la couronne 1786-1792, and one of the greatest furniture makers of his time, was responsible for all the cabinet work. The bronze mounts were cast by the founders Etienne-Jean and Pierre-Auguste Forestier and chased by the celebrated Pierre-Philippe Thomire and Bardin. They were then mercury-gilt by Chaudron. The total cost was 3,292 livres
The following year, in 1788, Benneman was commissioned to replace the two interior drawers on each with two slides. These were made of walnut taken from an armoire from Marie-Antoinette's apartments at Saint-Cloud. The commission is recorded as follows:
Mémoire d'Hauré. - 1er semestre 1788...Paris...Benneman. - Pour les deux commodes de la chambre à coucher de M. de Thierry, il a été faite des rablettes tirantes avec sujettion en bois de noyer pour être substitués à la place des 4 grands tiroirs qui ont restés en fond entre les mains de Sr Aubert
Lebois de noyer de ses tablettes provien de l'armoire commencé pour la Reine à St.- Cloud et qui a servi pour M. Lambert fils Journés d'ouvriers ebeniste depuis la 7e quinzaine du premier semestre de lannée 1788 jusque et compris la 11 suivante...24
THE TUILERIES
The commode was sent on May 15, 1792, to furnish the King's Cabinet du Conseil in the Tuileries Palace with the following description:
Du 15 mai 1792. Envoyé du Gardemeuble de la Couronne à Monsieur Fournier aux Thuileries. Savoir. Pour le Roi. Cabinet du Conseil. - Une commode en bois d'accajou à dessus se marbre bleu turquin, la devanture ouvrant à une parte en 3. parties, trois tiroirs dans l'epaisseur de la frise representant des cannelures et fleuron, les devant des portes et les cotés encadrés de rais-de-coeurs et bretés, socles garnie d'un breté et d'une moulures unies, astringales et corniches unis, les pieds portant une gaines garnies de bretés, d'une figure antiques portant une corbeille doré sur la téte, le tout doré d'or moulu. Longueur, 5 p. Profondeur, 2 p sur 3 p 1 po. de hauteur
Louix XVI and his family were confined to the Tuileries from 6 October 1789. The palace was in a particularly bad state of preservation having been visited by Louis XV for the last time in 1744. However the Queen had retained a small apartment there since 1784 for her visits to the Opera. These furnishings and the remaining furniture at the Tuileries were supplemented by fresh orders from the Garde-Meuble and with existing pieces brought from the other royal palaces. By 1790 Louis XVI appears to have realized that the Tuileries was to be their permanent residence and both he and Marie-Antoinette began ordering suitable permanent furnishings more in keeping with the palace's new role. For a futher discussion of the Tuileries during this period see M. Battestin, 'La famille royale aux Tuileries et l'installation de mobilier', De Paris à Versailles, Exhibition Catalogue, Paris, 1989, pp. 65-69.
The commode, which had been listed in the Garde-Meuble inventory in Madame Thierry's bedroom as No. 361, only stayed at the Tuileries palace a short time. The pair was sent to the dépôt de l'Infantado where they are recorded in 1795 under the numbers 47 and 48. They were proposed in the first lottery and, although there is no firm record of this, most probably sold. The commode now in the Louvre (C. Dreyfus, Musée du Louvre, Le Mobilier Français, 1921, pl. 34) was purchased by the Garde-Meuble Imperial after 1852 and placed in the Tuileries.
GUILLAUME BENNEMAN
Guillaume Benneman (died 1811), maître in 1785, was born and trained, as were so many of his fellow top ébénistes, in Germany. He worked almost exclusively for the crown from 1786-1792, up until 1788 under the directorship of Jean Hauré. His early work involved considerable transformations and updating of existing pieces in line with the spirit of economy at the time. He is known to have worked with Weisweiler and was used by the Garde-Meuble as an alternative to Daguerre. His commissions included pieces for Versailles, Saint Cloud and the Tuileries.
THIERRY DE VILLE D'AVRAY
Marc-Antoine Thierry de Ville d'Auray (1732-1792) purchased the position of intendant and contôleur général des Meubles de la couronne from Fontanieu for 360,000 livres in 1783. As head of the Garde Meuble, an organization set up by Colbert in 1663, Thierry was responsible for the upkeep and furnishing of the royal chateaux. Thierry reformed the functioning of the old numbering system with the use of order books and labelling and compiled independent inventories for each of the royal chateaux. Socially ambitious, he obtained the seigneurie of ville d'Avray which he had changed into a baronnie in 1784, and purchased the marquisat of Mauregard in 1789 for 350,000 livres. In 1789 he was appointed mayor of Versailles,
In his dual role as premier valet de chambre du Roi and intendant du Garde-Meuble he enjoyed two apartments, furnished by the crown, in each of the royal palaces. His Paris apartment was in one wing of the Hôtel du Garde-Meuble in the rue Saint-Florentin. It was here, in the upholstery of a sofa in his cabinet, that was found 120,000 livres in gold following his arrest on August 15, 1792. Thierry did not survive the Revolution and was murdered on September 2, 1792.
In 1786-87 he redecorated his apartments in the Hôtel du Garde-Meuble, in the most up-to-date taste using the same artists and craftsmen as in the royal palaces. For a discussion of the Garde-Meuble under his stewardship and of the furnishing of the Hôtel du Garde-Meuble, see J.J. Gautier, 'Le Garde-Meuble de la Couronne sous Thierry de Ville d'Avray', De Paris à Versailles, Exhibition Catalogue, Paris, 1989, pp. 53-58.
Mémoire d'Hauré. 2 semestre 1787.- ... Paris. Suitte du service de Monsieur le Commissaire Général. Chambre de Madame Thierry...Fourni deux commodes en bois d'acajou laiteux de 5 de longuer à vantaux et 5. tiroirs fermant à clef, ornées de moulures unie, moulures en rais-de-coeur, moulures en bretés, frises de 3 pouces de hauteur à canneaux et double fleurons entre lesdits canneaux, les deux pilastres de face décorés de figure en guaine antique avec corbeil, sabots, chapitaux, le tout doré d'or moulu, à l'exception des bustes et des pieds des guaines qui sont passés au verde antique comme produit par le temps, avec dessus de marbre bleu turquin Benneman.- Ebenisterie...............................861 1 Micel.- Serrurerie.................................188 1 Forestier.- Fonte..................................266 1 3 s Thomire et Bardin. -Tournure et ciselure.................589 1
Chaudron. - Dorure d'or moulu............................948 1 10 s Lanfant. - Dessus de marbre bleu turquin
5 p sur 2 ps et un pouce d'épaisseur
avec gorge, toisant 10 ps à 7 l le pied, pour
un 70 1, le deux.................................140 1
Journées du S'Benneman et faux frais.................300 1 1
The work was carried out under the direction of the sculptor Jean Hauré who was also most probably the designer. Guillaume Benneman, ébéniste au service de la couronne 1786-1792, and one of the greatest furniture makers of his time, was responsible for all the cabinet work. The bronze mounts were cast by the founders Etienne-Jean and Pierre-Auguste Forestier and chased by the celebrated Pierre-Philippe Thomire and Bardin. They were then mercury-gilt by Chaudron. The total cost was 3,292 livres
The following year, in 1788, Benneman was commissioned to replace the two interior drawers on each with two slides. These were made of walnut taken from an armoire from Marie-Antoinette's apartments at Saint-Cloud. The commission is recorded as follows:
Mémoire d'Hauré. - 1er semestre 1788...Paris...Benneman. - Pour les deux commodes de la chambre à coucher de M. de Thierry, il a été faite des rablettes tirantes avec sujettion en bois de noyer pour être substitués à la place des 4 grands tiroirs qui ont restés en fond entre les mains de Sr Aubert
Lebois de noyer de ses tablettes provien de l'armoire commencé pour la Reine à St.- Cloud et qui a servi pour M. Lambert fils Journés d'ouvriers ebeniste depuis la 7e quinzaine du premier semestre de lannée 1788 jusque et compris la 11 suivante...24
THE TUILERIES
The commode was sent on May 15, 1792, to furnish the King's Cabinet du Conseil in the Tuileries Palace with the following description:
Du 15 mai 1792. Envoyé du Gardemeuble de la Couronne à Monsieur Fournier aux Thuileries. Savoir. Pour le Roi. Cabinet du Conseil. - Une commode en bois d'accajou à dessus se marbre bleu turquin, la devanture ouvrant à une parte en 3. parties, trois tiroirs dans l'epaisseur de la frise representant des cannelures et fleuron, les devant des portes et les cotés encadrés de rais-de-coeurs et bretés, socles garnie d'un breté et d'une moulures unies, astringales et corniches unis, les pieds portant une gaines garnies de bretés, d'une figure antiques portant une corbeille doré sur la téte, le tout doré d'or moulu. Longueur, 5 p. Profondeur, 2 p sur 3 p 1 po. de hauteur
Louix XVI and his family were confined to the Tuileries from 6 October 1789. The palace was in a particularly bad state of preservation having been visited by Louis XV for the last time in 1744. However the Queen had retained a small apartment there since 1784 for her visits to the Opera. These furnishings and the remaining furniture at the Tuileries were supplemented by fresh orders from the Garde-Meuble and with existing pieces brought from the other royal palaces. By 1790 Louis XVI appears to have realized that the Tuileries was to be their permanent residence and both he and Marie-Antoinette began ordering suitable permanent furnishings more in keeping with the palace's new role. For a futher discussion of the Tuileries during this period see M. Battestin, 'La famille royale aux Tuileries et l'installation de mobilier', De Paris à Versailles, Exhibition Catalogue, Paris, 1989, pp. 65-69.
The commode, which had been listed in the Garde-Meuble inventory in Madame Thierry's bedroom as No. 361, only stayed at the Tuileries palace a short time. The pair was sent to the dépôt de l'Infantado where they are recorded in 1795 under the numbers 47 and 48. They were proposed in the first lottery and, although there is no firm record of this, most probably sold. The commode now in the Louvre (C. Dreyfus, Musée du Louvre, Le Mobilier Français, 1921, pl. 34) was purchased by the Garde-Meuble Imperial after 1852 and placed in the Tuileries.
GUILLAUME BENNEMAN
Guillaume Benneman (died 1811), maître in 1785, was born and trained, as were so many of his fellow top ébénistes, in Germany. He worked almost exclusively for the crown from 1786-1792, up until 1788 under the directorship of Jean Hauré. His early work involved considerable transformations and updating of existing pieces in line with the spirit of economy at the time. He is known to have worked with Weisweiler and was used by the Garde-Meuble as an alternative to Daguerre. His commissions included pieces for Versailles, Saint Cloud and the Tuileries.
THIERRY DE VILLE D'AVRAY
Marc-Antoine Thierry de Ville d'Auray (1732-1792) purchased the position of intendant and contôleur général des Meubles de la couronne from Fontanieu for 360,000 livres in 1783. As head of the Garde Meuble, an organization set up by Colbert in 1663, Thierry was responsible for the upkeep and furnishing of the royal chateaux. Thierry reformed the functioning of the old numbering system with the use of order books and labelling and compiled independent inventories for each of the royal chateaux. Socially ambitious, he obtained the seigneurie of ville d'Avray which he had changed into a baronnie in 1784, and purchased the marquisat of Mauregard in 1789 for 350,000 livres. In 1789 he was appointed mayor of Versailles,
In his dual role as premier valet de chambre du Roi and intendant du Garde-Meuble he enjoyed two apartments, furnished by the crown, in each of the royal palaces. His Paris apartment was in one wing of the Hôtel du Garde-Meuble in the rue Saint-Florentin. It was here, in the upholstery of a sofa in his cabinet, that was found 120,000 livres in gold following his arrest on August 15, 1792. Thierry did not survive the Revolution and was murdered on September 2, 1792.
In 1786-87 he redecorated his apartments in the Hôtel du Garde-Meuble, in the most up-to-date taste using the same artists and craftsmen as in the royal palaces. For a discussion of the Garde-Meuble under his stewardship and of the furnishing of the Hôtel du Garde-Meuble, see J.J. Gautier, 'Le Garde-Meuble de la Couronne sous Thierry de Ville d'Avray', De Paris à Versailles, Exhibition Catalogue, Paris, 1989, pp. 53-58.