Louis XVI period royal chest of drawers, delivered in 1786 f - Lot 246

Lot n° 246
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Estimation :
15000 - 25000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 84 500EUR
Louis XVI period royal chest of drawers, delivered in 1786 f - Lot 246
Louis XVI period royal chest of drawers, delivered in 1786 for the Countess d'Angiviller at the Hôtel du Gouvernement in the Château de Rambouillet, made by Jean-Henri Riesener. A mahogany and mahogany veneer chest of drawers, with a slightly recessed front opening to five drawers in three rows, the bottom two of which have no crosspiece, decorated with moldings, the side panels slightly curved, the rounded front and back uprights resting on wide turned legs fluted into toupies. Ornamentation of ormolu and chased molding under the frieze and bottom, ring-shaped lock escutcheons, capitals surmounting the feet and sabots. Stamped on each of the later uprights J.H. Riesener. On the reverse, two hot-iron marks - an interlaced double g and a numeral R, both under a royal crown - and a partially faded black ink number N°668. Louis XVI period, circa 1786 H. 90 cm - W. 148 cm - D. 64 cm (Peach blossom marble top repaired in the 19th century, draw rings, locks and entrances added; small cracks on the side panels, minor knocks, key missing, draw ring incomplete). Provenance: Delivered for the bedroom of the apartment on the 1st floor of the Hôtel du Gouvernement, at the Château de Rambouillet, this chest of drawers was intended for the Comtesse d'Angiviller, wife of the Comte d'Angiviller, arts administrator and last Director General of the Bâtiments du Roi under Louis XVI. This piece of furniture by Jean-Henri Riesener is a perfect illustration of his expertise: a model of balance and sobriety, combining elegance and technical mastery. - Château de Rambouillet, Hôtel du Gouvernement for the bedroom in the apartments of the Countess d'Angiviller (reproduced) - Private collection - Collection Viel, sale by Mes Maurice et Etienne Ader, Paris, Galerie George Petit, May 24, 1932, lot no. 89 - Private collection, Mes Couturier et de Nicolay sale, Paris, Palais d'Orsay, June 21, 1979, lot no. 127 (reproduced) Ordre du garde général des meubles de la Couronne n°57 of February 23, 1786 mentions for the Rambouillet estate, under the direction of sculptor Jean Hauré, Crown furniture contractor for Riesener (fig. 1): 1 chest of drawers of 4 feet and 6 inches and 2 corners in mahogany. 900 livres (An O1 3288) corresponding to the dimensions of our piece of furniture. The mémoire des Fournisseurs du garde meuble de la Couronne for the 1st half of 1786 in Paris (AN O1 3638), as part of Mr. Riesener's cabinetmaking tender, mentions our commode with a more precise description this time from the cabinetmaker (fig. 2): More elaborate mahogany chest of drawers than the previous one, with wood moldings around the panels, gilded molding below the frieze adorned with consoles, chased capitals (on the legs) and keyhole shoes in gilded rings of ground gold... 400 livres A discovery during the appraisal: the inventory number enabling the chest of drawers to be located in the apartments of the Countess d'Angiviller. The discovery of a black-ink inventory number not mentioned in the 1932 and 1979 sales catalogs, uncovered during the April 2026 appraisal, reveals the partially faded number 668. This corresponds to the November 1787 inventory of the Rambouillet estate, which also includes no. 668. It thus allows us to locate the chest of drawers on the second floor, in the apartments of the Comtesse d'Angiviller, and more precisely in her bedroom. Château de Rambouillet inventory, November 1787 (An 3440, f° n° 668) (fig. 2): 1 chest of drawers, 4 feet and 3 inches long, with two large and three small drawers, in mahogany wood, decorated with ring entrances, moldings and gilded copper clogs in ground gold, the top in veined white marble. (An O1 3440) We note the difference of three inches in this inventory, probably due to a measurement error, which is common in inventories of this period. Jean-Henri Riesener (1734-1806) was a cabinetmaker of German origin, trained in the workshop of Jean-François Oeben. Receiving his master's diploma on January 23, 1768, he rose rapidly through the ranks. In 1774, he succeeded Gilles Joubert and became the King's cabinetmaker in charge of Crown furniture. This prestigious distinction testifies to his success and the excellence of his craftsmanship in producing luxury furniture. Bibliography : - J. Nicolay, L'Art et la Manière des Maîtres Ébénistes français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1956 & 1976, Fig. AA (reproduced). - R. Serrette, "Le mystère des double G couronnés enfin élucidé", L'Objet d'art, October 2024, p. 77. - A. Maes, L'hôtel du comte d'Angiviller à Rambouillet. Une demeure à la mode à la vieille de la Révolution, 2024, Versalia, Revue de la Société des Amis de Versailles, p. 165.
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