CIRCA 1765

This sinuous commode, with its contrasting colors, delicate angle mounts and inventive floral marquetry embraces a special Germanic variant of the rococo style. Bearing strong similarities to documented commodes at the Neues Palais, Potsdam, this magnificent marquetry commode can be attributed to the celebrated Spindler brothers, Johann Friedrich (1726-1812) and Heinrich Wilhelm (1738-1788), who is thought to have trained in the Migeon workshop in Paris. Although the complete history and oeuvre of the family is still incomplete, the serpentine outline, bombé drawers inlaid sans traverse with pomegranate and frond marquetry and delicate ormolu mounts are among the most recurrent features in the of the Spindler brothers, as discussed in S. Sangl, 'Spindler?', Furniture History Journal, Leeds, 1991, pp. 22-66. A pair of closely related commodes executed circa 1763 by Johann Friedrich Spindler for the Red Damask Room at the Neues Palais, Potsdam shares the serpentine form and contrast of dark floral marquetry cartouche on a lighter overall ground (illustrated in Sangl, ibid., pp. 22-34, fig. 12). Another similar example from circa 1760-1765 shares the same c-scroll outline to the cartouches at the front and sides is illustrated in H. Kreisel, Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels, Munich, 1970, fig. 791. However, the most closely related commode with nearly identical form and angle mounts, but with musical trophy marquetry, is in the collection of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London. Although much is still unknown about this family of furniture makers, these striking commodes may provide an interesting link towards a more nuanced understanding of their work.