Items Similar to Louis XVI Style Commode after Jean-Henri Riesener by François Linke, circa 1905

Louis XVI Style Commode after the Model by Jean-Henri Riesener, circa 1880

Louis XVI Style Commode after the Model by Leleu by François Linke, circa 1910

20th Century Louis XV Style Corner Commode After Jean Henri Riesener

20th Century Transition Style Commode after Jean Henri Riesener

Louis XVI Style Fruitwood Marquetry Commode Modeled After Jean-Henri Reisener

19th Century Louis XVI Style Commode After Jean Henri Reisener

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 11

Louis XVI Style Commode after Jean-Henri Riesener by François Linke, circa 1905

About the Item

A very fine Louis XVI style gilt bronze-mounted marquetry commode after a model by Jean-Henri Riesener by François Linke. French, circa 1905. Linke Index No. 10. Signed 'F. Linke' and the lock-plate stamped 'CT LINKE SERRURERIE/PARIS'. Stamped variously to the reverse of the bronze mounts 'FL'. This fine mahogany commode has a fleur de pêcher marble top above a breakfront frieze set with three drawers, over a pair of drawers with a unified central panel of floral marquetry and trophies within a gilt-bronze frame, flanked by panels of foliate parquetry. The apron is mounted with finely cast acanthus and the scroll-mounted legs put down on block feet. A popular model in Linke's oeuvre, he produced a number of variations in different sizes, under index numbers 10, 104, 886, 1036 and 1437. Index no. 10 at 170 cm wide being identical to the original Reisener model. Linke purchased a set of patterns for this model of commode from the sale of the ébéniste Cueunières workshop in November 1902 for 209 francs (See C. Payne, p. 205-206). The origin of the design is derived from the cabinet work of the renowned eighteenth century ébéniste du Roi, Jean-Henri Riesener, who was responsible for many important contributions to the formation of the Louis XVI style in France. The distinctive repetition of stylised rosette and interlaced lattice work marquetry on the present example, punctuated by fine floral marquetry panels and gilt-bronze mounts is redolent of some of the most celebrated examples of his oeuvre. This commode can be related to two notable commodes namely one made for the bedchamber at Versailles of the Comtesse de Provence, latterly in the music room at Hamilton Palace and now at Waddesdon Manor. Another commode providing direct comparison was the example made for Marie-Antoinette in the 1780's, and also formerly in the collection of the Duke of Hamilton at Hamilton Palace, now in the Frick Collection. Riesener when describing the identical stylised rosette and interlaced lattice work, as appears on this commode, used on the desk for the Comte d'Orsay, talks of 'mosaic' marquetry in the taste of 'Boulle'. This marquetry equivalent of the inlaid brass and tortoiseshell work of André-Charles Boulle is derived from almost identical patterns used by Boulle on items such as the impressive Four Continents Clock now in the Wallace Collection. Yet this geometrical device and indeed many other Boulle patterns of the time can be related to Japanese and Chinese lacquer work. For instance the designs employed on the Four Continents Clock are virtually identical to that employed on a lacquer cabinet, now in the Wallace Collection, that was produced for the European Market in Kyoto in around 1680. As time progressed the taste for the oriental became more generalised and interpretations became looser and less dependent on specific original sources. Object Literature: Payne, Christopher. François Linke: The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, Antique Collectors' Club, (Woodbridge, UK), 2003; p. 205-206. Chastang, Yannick. Paintings in Wood: French Marquetry Furniture, The Wallace Collection, 2001. Pradère, Alexandre. French Furniture Makers: The Art of the Ebeniste from Louis XVI to the Revolution, Oxford University Press; pages 371 - 388. Meuvret, Jean. French Cabinet Makers of the Eighteenth Century. Symonds and Whineray. Victorian Furniture, Country Life. François Linke (1855 - 1946) was the most important Parisian cabinet maker of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and possibly the most sought after cabinet maker of his period. He was born in 1855 in the small village of Pankraz, in what is now the Czech Republic. Records show that Linke served an apprenticeship with the master cabinetmaker Neumann, then in 1875 at the age of 20 he arrived in Paris where he lived until he died in 1946. It is known that the fledgling Linke workshops were active in Paris in the Faubourg St. Antoine as early as 1881, and during this time he supplied furniture for other more established makers such as Jansen and Krieger. The quality of Linke's craftsmanship was unsurpassed by any of his contemporaries and reached its peak with his spectacular stand at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, where his Grand Bureau took the gold medal. He gambled his fortune and reputation on this stand, exhibiting several breathtaking items of furniture with sculptural mounts of the most exceptional quality and proportion. His gamble worked and his reputation was established to such an extent that Linke continued to be the pre-eminent furniture house in Paris until the Second World War. As the Art Journal reported in 1900 on Linke's stand: 'The work of M. Linke ... was an example of what can be done by seeking inspiration amongst the classic examples of Louis XV and XVI without in any great sense copying these great works. M. Linke's work was original in the true sense of the word, and as such commended itself to the intelligent seeker after the really artistic things of the Exhibition. Wonderful talent was employed in producing the magnificent pieces of furniture displayed....' The formation of Linke's distinctive style was made possible by his collaboration with the sculptor Léon Messagé. Together Linke and Messagé designed furniture for Linke's 1900 exhibition stand, with exuberant allegorical figures cast in high relief, that exemplified Linke's ability to seamlessly merge the different mediums of wood carving, bronze and marquetry into a dynamic unified whole. Today Linke is best known for the exceptionally high quality of his work, as well as his individualism and inventiveness. All of his work has the finest, most lavish mounts, very often applied to comparatively simple carcasses. The technical brilliance of his work and the artistic change that it represented were never to be repeated. Bibliography: Payne, Christopher. François Linke, (1855 - 1946), The Belle Époque of French Furniture, Antique Collectors' Club, (Woodbridge, UK), 2003. Meyer, Jonathan. Great Exhibitions - London, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, 1851-1900, Antique Collectors' Club, (Woodbridge, UK), 2006; pp. 298 - 300. Ledoux - Lebard, Denise. Les Ébénistes du XIXe siècle, Les Editions de l'Amateur, (Paris), 1984; pp. 439-43. Revue Artistique & Industrielle, (Paris), July-August 1900. Coral Thomsen, D. (ed), The Paris Exhibition 1900, The Art Journal, 1901; p.341. Jean-Henri Riesener (1735-1806) lived in Paris and was the foremost cabinet-maker of his generation and the successor to the court patronage of Jean-Francois Œben, whose widow he married in 1767. From 1774 to 1784, Riesener supplied more than 938,000 livres worth of furniture to the Garde-Meuble Royal. He was responsible for many important contributions to the formation of the Louis XVI style in France, of which he was undoubtedly the master. Riesener began his career for the monarchy with the roll-top desk for Louis XV placed in his inner study. Commissioned in 1760 from his father-in-law and master Œben, it is a piece of furniture exceptional for its novelty, the refinement of its marquetry, the quality of its bronze details and above all the ingeniousness of its mechanism: all the desk closes with a single turn of the key and opens just by pressing a button. Completed in 1769, it was modified by him during the Revolution when he had to remove the royal symbols. The prestige of this piece of furniture was immense and definitively established the reputation of Riesener. From this time on, there was no shortage of commissions from the court and for ten years he was the principal supplier to the royal residences. But his outrageous prices lost him a part of his clientele which turned to his rival Benneman. Marie-Antoinette, however, remained faithful to him. Riesener produced his most graceful and innovative pieces of furniture for Marie-Antoinette: In particular for her boudoir at Fontainebleau, he produced fragile furniture decorated with mother-of-pearl that was unique in its genre. Pearl was a particularly exotic material at that time and using it to cover the entire surface of an object was the height of luxury. His furniture was much copied during the nineteenth century, in particular the 'Bureau du Roi' at Versailles, of which a superb version was made for the 4th Marquess of Hertford and is now in the Wallace Collection. Bibliography: Ledoux-Lebard, Denise. Les Ebénistes du XIXe siècle, Les Editions de l'Amateur, (Paris), 1984; p.555. Kopf, Silas. A Marquetry Odyssey: Historical Objects and Personal Work, First edition, 2008; p.109.

Creator:
François Linke (Cabinetmaker)
Similar to:
Jean-Henri Riesener (Cabinetmaker)
Dimensions:
Height: 37.01 in (94 cm)Width: 65.75 in (167 cm)Depth: 25.6 in (65 cm)
Style:
Louis XVI (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Mahogany,Gilt,Marquetry
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1900-1909
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1905
Condition:
Seller Location:
Brighton, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: B725411stDibs: LU1028012396061
View Invoice