THE PROPERTY OF THE J.PAUL GETTY MUSEUM

*A LOUIS XVI ORMOLU AND SÈVRES-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD AND AMARANTH SECRETAIRE A ABATTANT

CIRCA 1776, STAMPED C.C. SAUNIER, THE LATER STAND STAMPED FOUR TIMES F. DURAND FILS

Details

*A LOUIS XVI ORMOLU AND SÈVRES-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD AND AMARANTH SECRETAIRE A ABATTANT
circa 1776, stamped c.c. saunier, the later stand stamped four times f. durand fils
The rectangular outset white marble top enclosed by a pierced ¾ gallery above a frieze drawer mounted with egg-and-dart-cast border, the fall-front mounted with a pair of rectangular soft paste porcelain plaques painted with twisted purple ribbon-tied flower basket including tulilps, cornflowers, roses and hyacinths, opening to reveal a fitted interior of drawers and open compartments, the sides inset with similar porcelain plaques, with carrying handles, the angles with cast fruiting garland chutes, on a later stand with frieze drawer centered by a laurel leaf and floral basket escutcheon flanked by ribbon-tied crossed torch chutes on cabriole legs with scroll sabots, all the plaques painted with the Sèvres factory mark of blue crossed L-s, two front plaques enclose letter Y within interlaced L's for 1776 and below the painter's mark of 3 dots for Tandart, the side plaques painted with letter Y for 1776 and the painter's mark for Bouillat, each plaque bears gilder's mark BD for Baudouin père, each plaque bears a paper label (only one intact) printed with crossed L's and inscribed in ink 132 [livres], the carcass inscribed in pencil Saunier le jeune 1776, the underside also inscribed 67.DA.7 with plastic label stamped A.67 M.3, paper label inscribed in ink D-15, one plaque indistinctly inscribed coté and one devant, incised N on edge of 3 plaques, a newspaper underneath the marble top inscribed by HJ Hatfield and Sons who claimed the secretaire in 1973
50¾in. (129cm.) high, 28¾in. (73cm.) wide, 16½in. (42cm.) deep

Provenance

Reputedly Prince Narishkine, New York
Jacques Seligmann, Paris
Henry Walters, New York
Mrs. Henry Walters, sold Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 3 May 1941, lot 1399
Purchased at the sale for $3,600 by J. Paul Getty, through Duveen

Literature

P. Wescher, 'French Furniture of the Eighteenth Century in the J. Paul Getty Museum', Art Quarterly 18, no. 2, Summer 1955, p. 131
C. Packer, Paris Furniture by the Master Ebénistes, Newport, Monmouthshire, 1956, fig. 162
R. Savill, The Wallace Collection: Catalogue of the Sèvres Porcelain, London, 1988, vol. 2, n. 45, p. 613
A. Sassoon, Vincennes and Sèvres Porcelain: Catalogue of the Collections, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 1991, no. 37, pp. 181-183
C. Bremer-David, Decorative Arts: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue of the Collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 1993, p. 41, no. 49

Lot Essay

Claude-Charles Saunier, maître in 1752
Edmé-François Bouillat père, active 1756-1782
Jean-Baptiste Tandart l'aîné, active 1754-1803
Baudouin père, gilder active 1750-1800
Frédéric-Louis Durand, succeeded to his father's business in 1920

Plaques of this form known as plaques carrées were produced in various different sizes from 1760. The Getty plaques are of the first size. Bouillat is recorded as having decorated two plaques quarés 1ere gr, Corbeilles et fleurs attachees avec un Ruban in June 1777. At the same date Tandart is recorded as having decorated two plaques quarées 1ere gr, Bouquet nové d'un Ruban. The painters' overtime records show that in the second half of 1776 and in January 1777 Bouillat was paid 24 and 30 livres per plaque for painting two pairs of plaques of unspecified shape and decoration.
The intact Sèvres factory price label fixed to the back of one of the plaques is inscribed 132 indicating a price of 132 livres. The marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre purchased a pair of plaques for 132 livres each during the first six months of 1776. During the same period he also bought a pair of plaques for 120 livres each which may be the pair by Bouillat on the sides of this secretaire.
Incised marks are rare on Sèvres plaques. Another plaque dated 1777 with the same incised scrolling N is noted by R. Savill in The Wallace Collection: Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, London, 1988, vol. III, p. 1116. It is not known for sure which tépareur used this mark but the most likely is Nantier who worked from 1767-76. Alternatively if this mark is interpreted as a scrolling JV in monogram then it could be Joseph Vernault, active from 1748/9 until 1778.