.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
This magnificent pair of commodes celebrates the 19th century's fascination with the ancien régime of French furniture-making. Using the most sophisticated techniques and exotic veneers, the pair reincarnates André-Charles Boulle's celebrated design for the bed-chamber of Louis XIV at the Palais de Trianon (now the Grand Trianon) Versailles, supplied in 1708. Another 18th century example in the collection of the Dukes of Hamilton at Hamilton Palace was loaned by the 11th Duke for the Specimens of Cabinet Work exhibition at Gore House in London from May to July 1853, where it was admired by Richard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford and founder of the collection that would become The Wallace Collection. The Marquess of Hertford obtained permission from the Duke of Hamilton to have a replica of the commode made, entrusting the task to the exhibition's co-organizer, the Cork Street dealer, John Webb. In turn, Webb appears to have subcontracted the work to another cabinetmaker, who must have been Blake of London.
Recent scholarship further links this well-documented English affinity for 'Boulle' furnishings to a robust and fêted history of French ébénisterie championed by Charles-Guillaume Winckelsen and his successors, Henry Dasson and François Linke. The various markings on the present commodes weave an intricate tapestry; one which records the succession of master models from one cabinetmaker to another during the latter half of the 19th century.
In an academic essay for the sale of a pair of nearly identical commodes by Henry Dasson (Sotheby's, New York, 24 October 2007, lot 326), Christopher Payne notes Dasson's 1871 purchase of Winckelsen's atelier, from which he almost certainly acquired the models and patterns for this iconic design. Payne also reveals that François Linke would subsequently purchase the same models from Dasson for his Commode Trianon, often then eliminating both Dasson's brands and, in several instances, Blake's engraved signature. Here both the maker's branded stamp and Blake's signature are preserved. While it cannot be said conclusively that Winckelsen acquired the caryatid mounts and companion paw feet directly from Blake, his reproductions appear to be among the earliest recorded following Blake's initial commission circa 1853.
Acquired by the present owner in 1965 from Comoglio, the renowned Parisian retailer of haute luxe fabrics and 18th and 19th century furnishings, this pair of commodes was purportedly removed in the mid-20th century from a grandiose Parisian residence. The commodes are appearing for the first time at public auction after being preserved in the present owner's prestigious collection of 19th and 20th century decorative arts.
Recent scholarship further links this well-documented English affinity for 'Boulle' furnishings to a robust and fêted history of French ébénisterie championed by Charles-Guillaume Winckelsen and his successors, Henry Dasson and François Linke. The various markings on the present commodes weave an intricate tapestry; one which records the succession of master models from one cabinetmaker to another during the latter half of the 19th century.
In an academic essay for the sale of a pair of nearly identical commodes by Henry Dasson (Sotheby's, New York, 24 October 2007, lot 326), Christopher Payne notes Dasson's 1871 purchase of Winckelsen's atelier, from which he almost certainly acquired the models and patterns for this iconic design. Payne also reveals that François Linke would subsequently purchase the same models from Dasson for his Commode Trianon, often then eliminating both Dasson's brands and, in several instances, Blake's engraved signature. Here both the maker's branded stamp and Blake's signature are preserved. While it cannot be said conclusively that Winckelsen acquired the caryatid mounts and companion paw feet directly from Blake, his reproductions appear to be among the earliest recorded following Blake's initial commission circa 1853.
Acquired by the present owner in 1965 from Comoglio, the renowned Parisian retailer of haute luxe fabrics and 18th and 19th century furnishings, this pair of commodes was purportedly removed in the mid-20th century from a grandiose Parisian residence. The commodes are appearing for the first time at public auction after being preserved in the present owner's prestigious collection of 19th and 20th century decorative arts.