BY ANTOINE-ROBERT GAUDREAUS, SUPPLIED ON 14 DECEMBER 1745 TO THE DAUPHIN OF FRANCE, THE MOUNTS OF LATER DATE

Details

A ROYAL LOUIS XV ORMOULU-MOUNTED KINGWOOD AND EBONY COMMODE
BY ANTOINE-ROBERT GAUDREAUS, SUPPLIED ON 14 DECEMBER 1745 TO THE DAUPHIN OF FRANCE, THE MOUNTS OF LATER DATE
The shaped moulded rouge griotte marble top, above two drawers sans traverse with trellis marquetry to the central section, mounts with foliate frames and handles to the sides, the angles mounted with dragons emerging from C-scrolls and foliate motifs, the sides with doors also with trellis motif, on cabriole legs with foliate sabots, the back with inventory number in black ink N°1380, some replacements to the veneers, the mounts later
36 1⁄4 in. (92 cm.) high ; 74 1⁄4 in.(189 cm.) wide ; 27 1⁄4 in. (69 cm.) deep

Provenance

Delivered by Antoine-Robert Gaudreaus to Louis, Dauphin of France for his bedchamber in the Appartement du Dauphin at the Château de Versailles on 14 December, 1745.
In Marie Antoinette, future Queen of France's bedchamber in the Appartement du Dauphin in 1770 when Dauphine of France;
Moved to the Salon des Nobles in the Grand Appartement de la Reine from 1771 until 1786.
Madame Chesnier-Duchesne, Avenue de La Bourdonnais, Paris.
Versailles sale, hôtel Rameau, May 12, 1960, lot 83.
European private collection; sold, Christie's, Paris, The Exceptional Sale, 23 November 2021, lot 226.

Literature

D. Alcouffe; E. Grall; J Perfettini, Antoine Robert Gaudreaus; Ebéniste de Louis XV, Dijon, 2021, pp. 309-317.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Thomas Williams International Head of English Furniture & Clocks

twilliams@christies.com +44 207 752 3239

Lot Essay

With its ample proportions, seductive bombe shape and beautifully figured veneers this commode is a prime example of furniture delivered for the most important members of the French royal family by the ébéniste du roi Antoine-Robert Gaudreaus. It was delivered to the bedchamber of Louis, Dauphin of France (1745-1765) in 1745. Its subsequent history indicates its enduring importance and appreciation by the royal family; in 1770 it served in the bedroom of Marie Antoinette when on her arrival in France and still Dauphine, she temporarily inhabited the Appartement du Dauphin. When she moved into the Grand Appartement de la Reine in 1771 the commode was moved to the Salon des Nobles adjacent to her bedroom and where she would hold formal audiences; it remained for over a decade until 1786 when the Queen installed neoclassical furniture by Riesener.

More from The Exceptional Sale: Masterworks Across Cultures

View All