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Lot Essay
Pierre Roussel (1723-1782), mâitre in 1769.
PIERRE ROUSSEL AND FRENCH VERNIS FURNITURE
The technique of vernis Martin, as seen in the present commode, was perfected by four brothers who produced what is considered to be the finest form of European japanning, lending their name to what later became a generic term. The elder brothers, Guillaume Martin (d. 1749) and Étienne-Simon Martin (d. 1770) were granted a monopoly to produce imitations of Chinese and Japanese lacquer in 1730, and this was subsequently renewed in 1744. Vernis Martin was developed from a varnish called cipolin. Remarkably lustrous and fine in texture, the material is capable of producing an array of colors ranging from greys, greens and blues, further enhanced by gold dust beneath the surface to produce a sparkling finish. The lengthy process requires the application of as many as forty layers to the surface, each of which is then polished to result in the required depth and finish. There were undoubtedly several workshops of vernisseurs in Paris, although little is known about their work. The inventories of the marchand-merciers rarely give an indication of the suppliers of these japanned items and their work was not marked. One commission of the Martin brothers which is documented, however, is the supply of the paneling for the apartments of the Dauphine at Versailles in 1749, attesting to its popularity among the elite.
Pierre Roussel worked at 'L'image de Saint Pierre', rue de Charenton in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. The prince de Condé was one of his patrons, with furniture being supplied for the palais Bourbon and chateau de Chantilly. An inventory taken following Roussel's death throws light on the large scale of his activities, with three workshops, a shop and a large stock, including fifty commodes, several of which were en façon de lac. A related vernis martin commode, although of smaller proportions, was sold Sotheby's, New York, 6 November 2008, lot 75.
THELMA CHRYSLER FOY
Thelma Chrysler Foy (1902-1957), elder daughter of Walter Chrysler, was a celebrated society hostess, dubbed by the New York Times as 'the woman of the greatest taste ... in New York'. Famed for her impeccable eye for both art and fashion, she appeared several times on the annual list of the ten best dressed women in the country. Thelma and her husband Byron Foy owned an extensive and well-known collection of French Impressionist art which adorned their homes, furnished lavishly with eighteenth-century French furniture, as was de rigueur at the time. Their collection included works by the best in both fine and decorative arts, such as Carlin, Weisweiler, Oeben, Renoir, Degas, Vuillard, Houdon, Falconet, Clodion and Giovanni da Bologna, to name a few. Thelma’s influence on the next generation of socialites was immense, and many followed her stylistic choices when creating their homes. In fact, Jayne Wrightsman, undoubtedly one of the greatest collectors of eighteenth-century French decorative arts in America, was much inspired by the Foys' collecting. Thelma and Byron shared spectacular residences, including an apartment at 740 Park Avenue, a town house on 91st street originally built by the Vanderbilts, and a country estate in Locust Valley. Parke Bernet offered her extensive collection from both her Park Avenue and Locust Valley residences in a landmark series of auctions 13-23 May 1959. Pieces from her estate are now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including Picasso’s L'Acteur, a pair of fauteuils by Chevigny, and a Louis XIV Boulle marquetry bureau plat. A portion of her wardrobe is preserved at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Among her sumptuous jewelry was a stunning 54.03 carat pear-shaped diamond necklace that sold Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2021, lot 135.
PIERRE ROUSSEL AND FRENCH VERNIS FURNITURE
The technique of vernis Martin, as seen in the present commode, was perfected by four brothers who produced what is considered to be the finest form of European japanning, lending their name to what later became a generic term. The elder brothers, Guillaume Martin (d. 1749) and Étienne-Simon Martin (d. 1770) were granted a monopoly to produce imitations of Chinese and Japanese lacquer in 1730, and this was subsequently renewed in 1744. Vernis Martin was developed from a varnish called cipolin. Remarkably lustrous and fine in texture, the material is capable of producing an array of colors ranging from greys, greens and blues, further enhanced by gold dust beneath the surface to produce a sparkling finish. The lengthy process requires the application of as many as forty layers to the surface, each of which is then polished to result in the required depth and finish. There were undoubtedly several workshops of vernisseurs in Paris, although little is known about their work. The inventories of the marchand-merciers rarely give an indication of the suppliers of these japanned items and their work was not marked. One commission of the Martin brothers which is documented, however, is the supply of the paneling for the apartments of the Dauphine at Versailles in 1749, attesting to its popularity among the elite.
Pierre Roussel worked at 'L'image de Saint Pierre', rue de Charenton in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. The prince de Condé was one of his patrons, with furniture being supplied for the palais Bourbon and chateau de Chantilly. An inventory taken following Roussel's death throws light on the large scale of his activities, with three workshops, a shop and a large stock, including fifty commodes, several of which were en façon de lac. A related vernis martin commode, although of smaller proportions, was sold Sotheby's, New York, 6 November 2008, lot 75.
THELMA CHRYSLER FOY
Thelma Chrysler Foy (1902-1957), elder daughter of Walter Chrysler, was a celebrated society hostess, dubbed by the New York Times as 'the woman of the greatest taste ... in New York'. Famed for her impeccable eye for both art and fashion, she appeared several times on the annual list of the ten best dressed women in the country. Thelma and her husband Byron Foy owned an extensive and well-known collection of French Impressionist art which adorned their homes, furnished lavishly with eighteenth-century French furniture, as was de rigueur at the time. Their collection included works by the best in both fine and decorative arts, such as Carlin, Weisweiler, Oeben, Renoir, Degas, Vuillard, Houdon, Falconet, Clodion and Giovanni da Bologna, to name a few. Thelma’s influence on the next generation of socialites was immense, and many followed her stylistic choices when creating their homes. In fact, Jayne Wrightsman, undoubtedly one of the greatest collectors of eighteenth-century French decorative arts in America, was much inspired by the Foys' collecting. Thelma and Byron shared spectacular residences, including an apartment at 740 Park Avenue, a town house on 91st street originally built by the Vanderbilts, and a country estate in Locust Valley. Parke Bernet offered her extensive collection from both her Park Avenue and Locust Valley residences in a landmark series of auctions 13-23 May 1959. Pieces from her estate are now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including Picasso’s L'Acteur, a pair of fauteuils by Chevigny, and a Louis XIV Boulle marquetry bureau plat. A portion of her wardrobe is preserved at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Among her sumptuous jewelry was a stunning 54.03 carat pear-shaped diamond necklace that sold Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2021, lot 135.