A LOUIS XV/XVI TRANSITIONAL ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD, SYCAMORE AND MARQUETRY COMMODE

CIRCA 1775 ATTRIBUTED TO ANDRÉ-LOUIS GILBERT

Details

A LOUIS XV/XVI TRANSITIONAL ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD, SYCAMORE AND MARQUETRY COMMODE
Circa 1775 attributed to André-Louis Gilbert
The molded breakfronted rectangular Fiore de pesco marble top with canted corners above a conforming case with two drawers inlaid sans traverse with classical ruins and a townscape by a river, each of the sides similarly inlaid, the marquetry panels with ormolu beed-and-reel surrounds, the canted angles headed by ormolu triglyphs and metope above bead-and-reel reeding, on cabriole legs headed with acanthus knees above channeled chutes and scrolled acanthus-sheathed sabots, the marble engraved V, inscribed in blue grease pencil Commode Marqueterie(?) and in red paint 70.32.73, also inscribed in black ink F-34, and PNUK, the top probably later
34¼in. (87cm.) high, 38¾in. (98.5cm.) wide, 19¾in. (49cm.) deep

Provenance

The Collection of Ailsa Mellon Bruce.
Anonymous sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 6 May 1977, lot 159 ($10,500).

Lot Essay

With its distinctive pictorial marquetry classical ruins, this belongs to a celebrated group of Transitional commodes stamped by André-Louis Gilbert (maître in 1774), Pierre Roussel (maître in 1745), Christophe Wolff (maître in 1755) and Jacques D'Autriche (maître in 1765). Clearly inspired by the paintings of Hubert Robert (1733-1808), the marquetry that embellishes these commodes was undoubtedly executed by a specialist marqueteur, who in turn supplied them to both marchand-merciers and marchand-ébénistes.
A closely related commode, stamped by Roussel but with three further plain frieze drawers and differing angle mounts, was sold by Mrs. Thelma Cazalet-Keir at Christie's London, 31 May 1957, lot 134 (to F. Partridge) and was subsequently sold anonymously at Sotheby's Monaco, 24 June 2000, lot 181 (FFr. 892,500).

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