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拍品專文
Nicolas Petit, maître in 1761.
This spectacular pair of commodes epitomizes the goût rocaille in mid-18th century France as interpreted by the celebrated ébéniste Nicolas Petit. While their form and decoration are typical of the grand productions of the period, their exquisitely chased bronze mounts are of unusually high quality; almost on par with those by makers such as BVRB.
In the early part of his career, Petit worked primarily for fellow cabinetmakers, marchands-ébénistes and marchands-merciers. By the early 1770's, Petit was also a marchand-ébéniste, the commercial aspect of which would become increasingly prevalent later in his career and lead to the establishment of an important base of private clients including the duc d'Orléans and the duc de Bouillon (see P. Lemonnier, 'Nicolas Petit, un ébéniste prospère,' L'Estampille L'Objet d'Art, January 1990, p. 50). While much of Petit's production is in the fashionable Transitional style of the 1760's and 1770's, these commodes are a rare example of his work in the full-blown Louis XV 'pittoresque' style.
Petit established his atelier during the height of furniture production in the Louis XV period. As a result, seemingly few extant works - to say nothing of pairs - can be compared to the present commodes. One such example with similar proportions, formerly with Segoura, is illustrated in A. Droguet, Nicolas Petit, Paris, 2001, p. 51. An additional comparison can be drawn to a commode in the collection of the Musée Lambinet which, despite its different form, has similar decoration and mounts to the present lot (see A. Droguet, 'Nicolas Petit I, la rédecouverte d'un ébéniste talenteux,' p. 110).
This pair of commodes could, therefore, be considered a unique aspect of his extant oeuvre. At the time of the creation of the present pair, Petit is known to have collaborated with a number of dealers, including the marchand-mercier Hennebert, and the present lot could be the result of one such partnership, possibly commissioned by a prominent aristocratic client. A pair of commodes of this exceptional quality rarely appears on the market, and represents today, as it would have au XVIIIe , a splendid tour de force of the goût Louis XV.
This spectacular pair of commodes epitomizes the goût rocaille in mid-18th century France as interpreted by the celebrated ébéniste Nicolas Petit. While their form and decoration are typical of the grand productions of the period, their exquisitely chased bronze mounts are of unusually high quality; almost on par with those by makers such as BVRB.
In the early part of his career, Petit worked primarily for fellow cabinetmakers, marchands-ébénistes and marchands-merciers. By the early 1770's, Petit was also a marchand-ébéniste, the commercial aspect of which would become increasingly prevalent later in his career and lead to the establishment of an important base of private clients including the duc d'Orléans and the duc de Bouillon (see P. Lemonnier, 'Nicolas Petit, un ébéniste prospère,' L'Estampille L'Objet d'Art, January 1990, p. 50). While much of Petit's production is in the fashionable Transitional style of the 1760's and 1770's, these commodes are a rare example of his work in the full-blown Louis XV 'pittoresque' style.
Petit established his atelier during the height of furniture production in the Louis XV period. As a result, seemingly few extant works - to say nothing of pairs - can be compared to the present commodes. One such example with similar proportions, formerly with Segoura, is illustrated in A. Droguet, Nicolas Petit, Paris, 2001, p. 51. An additional comparison can be drawn to a commode in the collection of the Musée Lambinet which, despite its different form, has similar decoration and mounts to the present lot (see A. Droguet, 'Nicolas Petit I, la rédecouverte d'un ébéniste talenteux,' p. 110).
This pair of commodes could, therefore, be considered a unique aspect of his extant oeuvre. At the time of the creation of the present pair, Petit is known to have collaborated with a number of dealers, including the marchand-mercier Hennebert, and the present lot could be the result of one such partnership, possibly commissioned by a prominent aristocratic client. A pair of commodes of this exceptional quality rarely appears on the market, and represents today, as it would have au XVIII