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Lot Essay
Jean-Franois Leleu, matre in 1764.
Charles Antoine Stadler, matre in 1776.
This bureau cylindre is identical, except for minor variations in the detailing of the marquetry, to that sold anonymously at Sotheby's Monaco, 16 June 1990, lot 943.
As a result of Madame Anne Foray-Carlier's recent research, the provenance of the Sotheby's bureau has been conclusively proven since its sale. Leleu's original invoice, still held in the archives of the muse Cond at Chantilly, reveals that the bureau was supplied on 23 June 1779 for 1,600 livres for the boudoir of the Prince de Cond at Chantilly. Only paid for on 12 March 1782, it was described three years earlier as:
Du 23 juin, Livr un secrtaire cylindre de 2 pieds 8 pouces de long, sur 18 pouces de large et 3 pieds 3 pouces de haut. Les pieds sont ronds gaines et sont cannels en cuivre lisse. Dans le corps d'en bas sont cinq tiroirs, dont celui du milieu est ferr d'une serrure qui fait fermer tout le secrtaire et est arrt secret. Deux clefs, dont une l'Anglaise, et l'autre cisele. Les dits tiroirs sont garnis de moere bleux. Dans le corps d'en haut, sont quatre tiroirs, dont un est garni de son critoire en trois pices argentes. La tablette est plaqu en bois de rose et d'amarante filets noirs et blancs et mosaque. Sur l'abattant est en oval, fond gris santin, et une corbeille remplie de fleurs et feuilles nuances. Le sus dit secrtaire est orn de 4 sabots boulle et feuille, 4 astragales gorges et feuilles d'acanthe. Sous le bas de la pareclose est une moulure unie faisant retour sur les cts de 5 pieds 8 pouces. Un quart de rond, une moulure au dessous de mme grandeur que celle ci-dessus. Dans le milieu du devant, une rosace ovale et un chapelet, 4 petites rosaces. un cadre, deux autres petits cadres et un sur les cts feuilles d'eau. Dans le haut des pieds sont des panneaux renfoncs, orns de six cadres unis et six ornements feuilles entrelaces. Le corps d'en haut est orn de cadres, dont un sur le cylindre et deux sur les cts et de 4 ornements sur les ceintres du devant. Dans la frise, sont 3 cadres unie et 3 branches de laurier. Une balustrade portant sa moulure faisant encadrement de marbre bleu turquin. Le tout bien finit et dor d'or moulu. Pour ce 1600 livres.
The marquetry panel on the rolltop of the Rothschild bureau displays natural lilies and fleurs de lys issuing from a bed of roses. This decoration is similar to the arms of the Bourbon family and may possibly indicate that it too was executed for the Prince de Cond; the Prince, happy with the first and perhaps wanting a second secrtaire for his appartements at the Palais de Bourbon, could easily have ordered the Rothschild bureau. This theory can only remain hypothetical, however.
The Cond bureau was probably sold during the Revolution.
Leleu and the Prince de Cond
Salverte pointed out that Leleu supplied the Prince de Cond with furniture worth more than 60,000 livres between 1772 and 1777. Amongst these deliverie, several pieces can be identified:
- Muse du Louvre (OA9589), a commode supplied for the bedroom of the Prince de Cond at the Palais Bourbon for 2,400 livres on 9 November 1772 (previously in the collection of the Princesse de Faucigny)
- Muse National du Chteau de Versailles et des Trianons, a pair of commodes supplied for the bedroom of the duchesse de Bourbon at the Palais Bourbon for 7,470 livres on 1 May 1773 (previously in the collection Luce)
- Wallace Collection, London (F242), a commode supplied for the chambre rose at the Palais Bourbon for 10,715 livres on 28 December 1772
- Private Collection in France, a bureau cylindre supplied for the salon rose at the Palais Bourbon for 4,760 livres in 1772
Leleu and Stadler
Both secrtaires bear the name of the cabinet-maker Stadler. The rolltop desk sold at Sotheby's had a chalk inscription 'Stadler' under the central drawer, while the Rothschild bureau bears a label hidden at the back of the carcase behind the top left drawer which is inscribed 'Stadler et benistre rue Roialle saint paulle'.
Charles-Antoine Stadler was still a free craftsman when he married the daughter-in-law of Jean-Franois Leleu on 19 February 1767, but received his matrise on 13 November 1776, one month after the death of his spouse. The inventory drawn up on 7 October 1776 lists three work-benches, but also work completed for his father-in-law which amounted to 834 livres. It appears that he specialised in the production of marquetry, not only because the tools described would indicate this, but also because of the table described in his workshop: une table, le dessus fleurs et mosaque 336 livres.
Charles Antoine Stadler, matre in 1776.
This bureau cylindre is identical, except for minor variations in the detailing of the marquetry, to that sold anonymously at Sotheby's Monaco, 16 June 1990, lot 943.
As a result of Madame Anne Foray-Carlier's recent research, the provenance of the Sotheby's bureau has been conclusively proven since its sale. Leleu's original invoice, still held in the archives of the muse Cond at Chantilly, reveals that the bureau was supplied on 23 June 1779 for 1,600 livres for the boudoir of the Prince de Cond at Chantilly. Only paid for on 12 March 1782, it was described three years earlier as:
Du 23 juin, Livr un secrtaire cylindre de 2 pieds 8 pouces de long, sur 18 pouces de large et 3 pieds 3 pouces de haut. Les pieds sont ronds gaines et sont cannels en cuivre lisse. Dans le corps d'en bas sont cinq tiroirs, dont celui du milieu est ferr d'une serrure qui fait fermer tout le secrtaire et est arrt secret. Deux clefs, dont une l'Anglaise, et l'autre cisele. Les dits tiroirs sont garnis de moere bleux. Dans le corps d'en haut, sont quatre tiroirs, dont un est garni de son critoire en trois pices argentes. La tablette est plaqu en bois de rose et d'amarante filets noirs et blancs et mosaque. Sur l'abattant est en oval, fond gris santin, et une corbeille remplie de fleurs et feuilles nuances. Le sus dit secrtaire est orn de 4 sabots boulle et feuille, 4 astragales gorges et feuilles d'acanthe. Sous le bas de la pareclose est une moulure unie faisant retour sur les cts de 5 pieds 8 pouces. Un quart de rond, une moulure au dessous de mme grandeur que celle ci-dessus. Dans le milieu du devant, une rosace ovale et un chapelet, 4 petites rosaces. un cadre, deux autres petits cadres et un sur les cts feuilles d'eau. Dans le haut des pieds sont des panneaux renfoncs, orns de six cadres unis et six ornements feuilles entrelaces. Le corps d'en haut est orn de cadres, dont un sur le cylindre et deux sur les cts et de 4 ornements sur les ceintres du devant. Dans la frise, sont 3 cadres unie et 3 branches de laurier. Une balustrade portant sa moulure faisant encadrement de marbre bleu turquin. Le tout bien finit et dor d'or moulu. Pour ce 1600 livres.
The marquetry panel on the rolltop of the Rothschild bureau displays natural lilies and fleurs de lys issuing from a bed of roses. This decoration is similar to the arms of the Bourbon family and may possibly indicate that it too was executed for the Prince de Cond; the Prince, happy with the first and perhaps wanting a second secrtaire for his appartements at the Palais de Bourbon, could easily have ordered the Rothschild bureau. This theory can only remain hypothetical, however.
The Cond bureau was probably sold during the Revolution.
Leleu and the Prince de Cond
Salverte pointed out that Leleu supplied the Prince de Cond with furniture worth more than 60,000 livres between 1772 and 1777. Amongst these deliverie, several pieces can be identified:
- Muse du Louvre (OA9589), a commode supplied for the bedroom of the Prince de Cond at the Palais Bourbon for 2,400 livres on 9 November 1772 (previously in the collection of the Princesse de Faucigny)
- Muse National du Chteau de Versailles et des Trianons, a pair of commodes supplied for the bedroom of the duchesse de Bourbon at the Palais Bourbon for 7,470 livres on 1 May 1773 (previously in the collection Luce)
- Wallace Collection, London (F242), a commode supplied for the chambre rose at the Palais Bourbon for 10,715 livres on 28 December 1772
- Private Collection in France, a bureau cylindre supplied for the salon rose at the Palais Bourbon for 4,760 livres in 1772
Leleu and Stadler
Both secrtaires bear the name of the cabinet-maker Stadler. The rolltop desk sold at Sotheby's had a chalk inscription 'Stadler' under the central drawer, while the Rothschild bureau bears a label hidden at the back of the carcase behind the top left drawer which is inscribed 'Stadler et benistre rue Roialle saint paulle'.
Charles-Antoine Stadler was still a free craftsman when he married the daughter-in-law of Jean-Franois Leleu on 19 February 1767, but received his matrise on 13 November 1776, one month after the death of his spouse. The inventory drawn up on 7 October 1776 lists three work-benches, but also work completed for his father-in-law which amounted to 834 livres. It appears that he specialised in the production of marquetry, not only because the tools described would indicate this, but also because of the table described in his workshop: une table, le dessus fleurs et mosaque 336 livres.