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拍品专文
Roger van der Cruse, known as Lacroix, maître in 1755.
This elegant bureau de dame is embellished with a rare marquetry decoration of birds and butterflies in exotic landscapes on a light citronnier ground, which is clearly inspired by the so-called jaune jonquille or daffodil vernis developed in the 1740s by the celebrated Martin Brothers, whose successful varnishing enterprise was granted a Royal warrant in 1748 (B. Pallot, et al., Didier Aaron, Catalogue, Paris, 1992, no. 31). The inspiration for the intense yellow ground offset by darker foliage derives from patterns on Chinese silks, known as indiennes, or on wall-papers, which were often described as papiers des Indes. These costly materials were imported in large quantities by the Compagnie des Indes, and played an important role in the development of the chinoiserie style (A. Gruber, L'Art Décoratif en Europe, Classique et Baroque, Paris, 1992, pp. 262 - 263).
SIMON-PHILIPPE POIRIER
It is not surprising that this exquisite bureau bears an inscription by the celebrated marchand-mercier Simon-Philippe Poirier (1720 - 1785), whose shop, A la Couronne d'Or, was located in the fashionable rue Saint-Honoré. One of the leading marchands-merciers, Poirier dealt in all forms of objets de luxe and played an important creative role, acting as a catalyst between craftsmen and designers to create new forms and fashions. He was instrumental in the creation of the neo-classical style and held a virtual monopoly on the sale of porcelain-mounted furniture, a technique that he pioneered and perfected. His illustrious clientèle included Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry, the duc de Choiseul and the duc de Caylus (S. Eriksen, Early Neo-Classicism in France, London, 1974, p. 215).
The inscription 'Poirier 3 pieces argentées' to the underside of one of the drawers of the present bureau provided instructions for the silvered fittings. This clearly demonstrates his role as co-ordinator of the creation of luxurious furniture, which encompassed specifications on the mounting of Sèvres porcelain plaques, but also smaller details like this. Poirier collaborated on numerous occasions with Lacroix, who, together with Bernard van Risenburgh (BVRB) and Martin Carlin, can be regarded as one of his preferred ébénistes. Lacroix executed the celebrated 'Commode a la grec garnie de bronze doré', which Lord Coventry acquired from Poirier in 1763 (anonymous sale; Christie's, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 264). Lord Coventry's purchases also included two pairs of wall-lights and 'Un secretaire en armoire garnie de bronze doré of the BVRB model associated with Poirier (C. Sargentson, Merchants and Luxury Markets, London, 1996, p. 171).
ROGER VAN DER CRUSE
Roger van der Cruse, known as Lacroix (RVLC), was born in 1728, the son of François van der Cruse, an ouvrier libre. His sisters Françoise-Marguerite, Marie-Marguerite and Anne-Michelle married maître-ébénistes, namely Jean-François Oeben (and secondly Jean-Henri Riesener), Simon Oeben and Simon Guillaume, while he himself married the daughter of the ébéniste Mathieu Progain. Following Lacroix's election as maître-ébéniste in 1755, he took over his father's atelier in the rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, opposite the rue Saint-Nicolas, where he had lived for all his life. His possessions were auctioned after his death in 1799 (C. Roinet, Roger Vandercruse dit Lacroix, Paris, 2000, pp. 15 - 23).
This elegant bureau de dame is embellished with a rare marquetry decoration of birds and butterflies in exotic landscapes on a light citronnier ground, which is clearly inspired by the so-called jaune jonquille or daffodil vernis developed in the 1740s by the celebrated Martin Brothers, whose successful varnishing enterprise was granted a Royal warrant in 1748 (B. Pallot, et al., Didier Aaron, Catalogue, Paris, 1992, no. 31). The inspiration for the intense yellow ground offset by darker foliage derives from patterns on Chinese silks, known as indiennes, or on wall-papers, which were often described as papiers des Indes. These costly materials were imported in large quantities by the Compagnie des Indes, and played an important role in the development of the chinoiserie style (A. Gruber, L'Art Décoratif en Europe, Classique et Baroque, Paris, 1992, pp. 262 - 263).
SIMON-PHILIPPE POIRIER
It is not surprising that this exquisite bureau bears an inscription by the celebrated marchand-mercier Simon-Philippe Poirier (1720 - 1785), whose shop, A la Couronne d'Or, was located in the fashionable rue Saint-Honoré. One of the leading marchands-merciers, Poirier dealt in all forms of objets de luxe and played an important creative role, acting as a catalyst between craftsmen and designers to create new forms and fashions. He was instrumental in the creation of the neo-classical style and held a virtual monopoly on the sale of porcelain-mounted furniture, a technique that he pioneered and perfected. His illustrious clientèle included Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry, the duc de Choiseul and the duc de Caylus (S. Eriksen, Early Neo-Classicism in France, London, 1974, p. 215).
The inscription 'Poirier 3 pieces argentées' to the underside of one of the drawers of the present bureau provided instructions for the silvered fittings. This clearly demonstrates his role as co-ordinator of the creation of luxurious furniture, which encompassed specifications on the mounting of Sèvres porcelain plaques, but also smaller details like this. Poirier collaborated on numerous occasions with Lacroix, who, together with Bernard van Risenburgh (BVRB) and Martin Carlin, can be regarded as one of his preferred ébénistes. Lacroix executed the celebrated 'Commode a la grec garnie de bronze doré', which Lord Coventry acquired from Poirier in 1763 (anonymous sale; Christie's, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 264). Lord Coventry's purchases also included two pairs of wall-lights and 'Un secretaire en armoire garnie de bronze doré of the BVRB model associated with Poirier (C. Sargentson, Merchants and Luxury Markets, London, 1996, p. 171).
ROGER VAN DER CRUSE
Roger van der Cruse, known as Lacroix (RVLC), was born in 1728, the son of François van der Cruse, an ouvrier libre. His sisters Françoise-Marguerite, Marie-Marguerite and Anne-Michelle married maître-ébénistes, namely Jean-François Oeben (and secondly Jean-Henri Riesener), Simon Oeben and Simon Guillaume, while he himself married the daughter of the ébéniste Mathieu Progain. Following Lacroix's election as maître-ébéniste in 1755, he took over his father's atelier in the rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, opposite the rue Saint-Nicolas, where he had lived for all his life. His possessions were auctioned after his death in 1799 (C. Roinet, Roger Vandercruse dit Lacroix, Paris, 2000, pp. 15 - 23).