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拍品專文
Elegant in its restrained ornament, this pier table well illustrates the refined cabinetwork made by French émigré Charles Honoré Lannuier (1779-1819) during the last few years of his career. Twice stamped by the cabinetmaker, the table exhibits details of decoration and construction typical of his oeuvre, but with burl-elm veneers and green marble is a rare example of Lannuier's use of these materials. The burl-elm veneer creates lively patterns across the frieze and base, an effect Lannuier enhanced on this table by omitting applied ormolu mounts and the same veneer appears on at least two other Lannuier forms, a square pier table attributed to the cabinetmaker and a bedstead bearing his label made in 1817 for Stephen Van Rensselaer IV. Along with figured maple, the use of burl-elm instead of mahogany or rosewood and indicates his and his customers' awareness of the French taste for light-colored veneered furniture during the Empire and Restauration periods (fig. 1). The appearance of green rather than white marble on this table also diverges from Lannuier's usual practices. The same colored marble is seen on a small table with inset marble top now at the White House, but the vast majority of forms incorporating marble made by or attributed to Lannuier feature white marble ( Peter M. Kenny, Frances F. Bretter and Ulrich Leben, Honoré Lannuier: Cabinetmaker From Paris (New York, 1998), pp. 55-56, 119, 153, 155, 173, pls. 21, 54, 68 and pp. 199, 218, 223, cats. 5, 102, 118).
Elsewhere, the table exhibits hallmarks of Lannuier's craftsmanship. With its rich veneer, boldly sweeping base and large paw feet, the table's overall design demonstrates Lannuier's "mature" style, which he practiced from the early 1810s until his death in 1819. Described as filled with "monumental grandeur" and a "triumph of French forms," this style contrasted with Lannuier's earlier work that was derived from the more delicate designs of the Consulat era or incorporated English designs encountered by Lannuier after he arrived in New York. The brass mounts on the columns and pilasters related closely to those seen on other Lannuier forms from the 1810s, such as the capitals on the columns of a French bedstead labelled by Lannuier and the capitals on the pilasters of a looking glass attributed to his hand. Other details point directly to the Lannuier workshop. The Grecian ovolo molding immediately beneath the marble top has an elliptical-based curve and is one of the four standard templates used by Lannuier. Appearing in the 1817 New York cabinetmakers' book of prices, this molding was a device employed by other New York furniture makers of the time, but, as seen on the table offered here, Lannuier's rendition incorporated a deeper curve, giving the molding extra height. As is typical with Lannuier, the table's construction is as refined as its ornament. The dovetails joining the side and rear rails are precisely cut and, discussing almost identical examples on another Lannuier table, Peter Kenny notes that they are "as close to perfection as is humanly possible" (Kenny, Bretter and Leben, pp. 81-82, 102, 143, 174-176, 178, pls. 49, 64, 91, fig. 99c and pp. 198, 225, cats. 1, 125).
Fig. 1: [christie's ex lot]
Elsewhere, the table exhibits hallmarks of Lannuier's craftsmanship. With its rich veneer, boldly sweeping base and large paw feet, the table's overall design demonstrates Lannuier's "mature" style, which he practiced from the early 1810s until his death in 1819. Described as filled with "monumental grandeur" and a "triumph of French forms," this style contrasted with Lannuier's earlier work that was derived from the more delicate designs of the Consulat era or incorporated English designs encountered by Lannuier after he arrived in New York. The brass mounts on the columns and pilasters related closely to those seen on other Lannuier forms from the 1810s, such as the capitals on the columns of a French bedstead labelled by Lannuier and the capitals on the pilasters of a looking glass attributed to his hand. Other details point directly to the Lannuier workshop. The Grecian ovolo molding immediately beneath the marble top has an elliptical-based curve and is one of the four standard templates used by Lannuier. Appearing in the 1817 New York cabinetmakers' book of prices, this molding was a device employed by other New York furniture makers of the time, but, as seen on the table offered here, Lannuier's rendition incorporated a deeper curve, giving the molding extra height. As is typical with Lannuier, the table's construction is as refined as its ornament. The dovetails joining the side and rear rails are precisely cut and, discussing almost identical examples on another Lannuier table, Peter Kenny notes that they are "as close to perfection as is humanly possible" (Kenny, Bretter and Leben, pp. 81-82, 102, 143, 174-176, 178, pls. 49, 64, 91, fig. 99c and pp. 198, 225, cats. 1, 125).
Fig. 1: [christie's ex lot]