Cupboard Mathieu Befort Jeune, Paris, France

Name: Cupboard Mathieu Befort Jeune, Paris, France
Brand: Mathieu Béfort
Price: 34302.34 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Cupboard supported by spinning top-shaped feet, there are two doors on the front, with curved sides. The uprights on the front are placed at 45° with a concave structure that contains two turned columns in gilded bronze; the uprights on the back are protruding and fluted with brass steel plates. Palm wood veneer, with maple reserves on the base, triage maple reserves on the sides, stained maple and Indian walnut threading, on a mahogany base; on the doors there are reserves in "vernis Martin" on a golden base, where are depicted two pairs of putti sitting on clouds, busy writing and playing the zither, while the others are painting or sculpting: they are allegorical representations of the arts. The structure is made of sessile oak wood, with mahogany veneer interiors. It is decorated with gilded bronze applications and framing, with some clear and some opaque finishing; the frames consist of a single piece, realized specifically for this cabinet. The top is in marble with a violet breach, with a bronze frame underneath it. Some frames also delimit the reserves on the sides and on the front, while phytomorphic and floral bronze decorations are applied on the under-the-top band. The lock of the doors has a brass covering, with a double lock on the top and on the bottom. It has a double stamp “BEFORT JEUNE” on the wood, under the marble top. Historical and stylistic analysis: Mathieu Befort (1813-1880) comes from a renowned family of cabinetmakers of Belgian origin, active since 1817; he was the son of the famous Jean-Baptiste Befort (1783-1840), well known for creating the furniture of the residence of the Duke of Orleans. He had his own atelier in Paris between 1836 and 1880, and he started signing the furniture he produced “Befort Jeune” to separate himself from his father. He was awarded by the Exhibition of the French Industry, obtaining the reputation of a cabinetmaker of high quality, he became one of the suppliers for Napoleon III and Empress Eugenia. His production is characterized by a personal reinterpretation of the furniture of André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732), often enriching the pieces with vernis Martin, some particular French lacquers born to compete with the more expensive Chinese lacquers, or with porcelain inserts, in the style of Jean-Henri Riesener (1734-1806). Our cupboard is an expression of Napoleon III taste and confirms even further the high quality of the furniture signed “Befort Jeune”, not only in the structural and cabinet-making parts, but also in the bronzes. The two panels on the doors in vernis Martin are peculiar, depicting allegories of the arts. The subject seems unique, but it can be compared to other pieces of furniture that went through the antiques market, always signed by our cabinetmaker. In particular, another small cupboard with a panel created with the same technique, that represents a pair of putti in front of ancient ruins. Similar playful putti are proposed in another cupboard and on a cabinet, on the door and on the sides. Bibliography: Ledoux-Lebard, Denise Les Ebénistes du XIX Siècle, Paris, Editions de l'Amateur, 1984, pp. 48-50; Christopher Payne. Mobili di Parigi: il mercato di lusso del XIX secolo, Château de Saint-Rémy, Éditions Monelle Hayot, 2018, pp. 253-6.

Creator:

Mathieu Béfort (Artist)

Dimensions:

Height: 42.33 in (107.5 cm)Width: 52.37 in (133 cm)Depth: 17.13 in (43.5 cm)

Style:

Other (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Bronze,Mahogany,Maple,Palmwood,Other,Veneer

Place of Origin:

France

Period:

Late 19th Century