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Lot Essay
Roger Vandercruse (1728-1799), known as Lacroix, maître in 1755.
Lacroix specialized in the production of small, costly items of furniture, often embellished with intricate marquetry or parquetry, and sometimes sophisticated mechanical devices. His work was distinguished early on by the quality of its inlay, often executed in floral and geometric patterns and in timbers of light tone such as bois satiné and bois citronnier. The maître ébéniste was also among the first cabinetmakers to embrace Neoclassicism, and created furnishings of the highest quality in the new taste. He often achieved its characteristic symmetry and balance by the use of uniform parquetry inlay.
The tables en chiffoniere comprising lots 221 and 222 belong to a small, but well-defined subgroup within Lacroix’s oeuvre. With their Neoclassical top sections featuring pronounced friezes and raised on graceful cabriole legs, these tables are typical of Lacroix’s work in the Transitional style, circa 1765-1770 (see C. Roinet, Roger Vandercruse dit Lacroix, Paris, 2000, p. 66). He produced a number of similar tables of this easily-recognizable outline, with some of them being more richly inlaid and mounted than others. The inlays of these two tables can be found throughout Lacroix’s oeuvre; the ustensiles chinois marquetry is prominently featured on a bonheur du jour sold from the collection of the late Mrs. T.S. Elliot, Christie’s, London, 4 June 2014, lot 531 and on a table sold Christie’s, London, 22 May 2019, lot 272. The trompe l’oeil “woven” parquetry appears on a commode d'entre-deux sold Christie’s, Paris, 6 November 2015, lot 860 and a commode sold Christie’s, London, 3 December 2013, lot 160.
Tables of comparable Transitional form but with more intricate marquetry and mounts include one sold Christie’s, London, 7 July 2005, lot 470. For two parquetry-inlaid examples with Greek-key friezes, see Sotheby’s, London 2 May 2017, lots 140 and 145. The most closely related examples include four with ormolu entrelac friezes, two of which are inlaid with identical parquetry; one sold Christie’s, New York, 19 April 2023, lot 468 and another sold Christie’s, London, 6 December 2012, lot 38; one with very similar pictorial marquetry, sold Christie’s, London, 6 December 2012, lot 39; and one with a differently inlaid veneer, sold Christie’s, Paris, 23 April 2013, lot 310. Two further closely related examples are one with marquetry entrelac frieze sold Christie’s, Paris, 22 March 2017, lot 28; and one displaying very similar ustensiles chinois sold Sotheby’s, Paris, 5 November 2014, lot 189.
Lacroix specialized in the production of small, costly items of furniture, often embellished with intricate marquetry or parquetry, and sometimes sophisticated mechanical devices. His work was distinguished early on by the quality of its inlay, often executed in floral and geometric patterns and in timbers of light tone such as bois satiné and bois citronnier. The maître ébéniste was also among the first cabinetmakers to embrace Neoclassicism, and created furnishings of the highest quality in the new taste. He often achieved its characteristic symmetry and balance by the use of uniform parquetry inlay.
The tables en chiffoniere comprising lots 221 and 222 belong to a small, but well-defined subgroup within Lacroix’s oeuvre. With their Neoclassical top sections featuring pronounced friezes and raised on graceful cabriole legs, these tables are typical of Lacroix’s work in the Transitional style, circa 1765-1770 (see C. Roinet, Roger Vandercruse dit Lacroix, Paris, 2000, p. 66). He produced a number of similar tables of this easily-recognizable outline, with some of them being more richly inlaid and mounted than others. The inlays of these two tables can be found throughout Lacroix’s oeuvre; the ustensiles chinois marquetry is prominently featured on a bonheur du jour sold from the collection of the late Mrs. T.S. Elliot, Christie’s, London, 4 June 2014, lot 531 and on a table sold Christie’s, London, 22 May 2019, lot 272. The trompe l’oeil “woven” parquetry appears on a commode d'entre-deux sold Christie’s, Paris, 6 November 2015, lot 860 and a commode sold Christie’s, London, 3 December 2013, lot 160.
Tables of comparable Transitional form but with more intricate marquetry and mounts include one sold Christie’s, London, 7 July 2005, lot 470. For two parquetry-inlaid examples with Greek-key friezes, see Sotheby’s, London 2 May 2017, lots 140 and 145. The most closely related examples include four with ormolu entrelac friezes, two of which are inlaid with identical parquetry; one sold Christie’s, New York, 19 April 2023, lot 468 and another sold Christie’s, London, 6 December 2012, lot 38; one with very similar pictorial marquetry, sold Christie’s, London, 6 December 2012, lot 39; and one with a differently inlaid veneer, sold Christie’s, Paris, 23 April 2013, lot 310. Two further closely related examples are one with marquetry entrelac frieze sold Christie’s, Paris, 22 March 2017, lot 28; and one displaying very similar ustensiles chinois sold Sotheby’s, Paris, 5 November 2014, lot 189.