Commode
Pierre Roussel (1723-1782)
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1745
Materials
Oak carcass, veneered with purpleheart, tulipwood and fruitwood marquetry, gilt bronze mounts
Measurements
86.5 x 86 x 46 cm
Place of origin
Paris
Order this imageCollection
Polesden Lacey, Surrey
NT 1245950
Summary
A small chest of drawers or "commode", French, Louis XV, circa 1745, by Pierre Roussel (Master in 1745), of bombé shape, veneered with purpleheart and tulipwood inlaid with floral marquetry of fruitwood, the Breccia di Aleppo serpentine top above two drawers, the front and sides inlaid with ribonned bouquets of flowers, the "painting in wood" framed by gilt bronze mounts of scrolling foliage with floral branches, the top key escutcheon with a shell-shaped pierced acanthus leaf, the corners with typical pierced acanthus cartouches, on five-section legs terminated by scrolling acanthus cast sabots. This commode is stamped ‘P. Roussel’, a Parisian cabinet maker and dealer. Three small commodes stamped P.Roussel with comparable shape and colourful marquetry of floral bouquets on a tulipwood ground, their mounts following a similar arrangement are illustrated by F.Quéré in his monography of this dynasty of French ébénistes (p.97-98).
Provenance
Date of acquisition not recorded, but probably originally at 16 Charles Street, Mayfair, Mrs Greville's London home, and bequeathed by Margaret McEwan, The Hon. Mrs Ronald Greville (1863-1942) with Polesden Lacey, to the National Trust, in memory of her father, William McEwan (1827-1913) in 1942. This item found on the probate inventory record for Charles Street chattels at Polesden Lacey, found in Mrs Greville's Bedroom, page 36.
Marks and inscriptions
On Carcass: P.ROUSSEL (stamped)
Makers and roles
Pierre Roussel (1723-1782), dealer Pierre Roussel (1723-1782), cabinetmaker
References
Quéré 2012, François Quéré, Les Roussel, une dynastie d'ébénistes au XVIIIe siècle, Faton, 2012.