On June 27, the National Museum of Versailles preempted for € 350,000 an important transition period convenient from Bellevue Palace, in the Mathias Baron Ribeyre's sale. It is fired marqued from the Bellevue palace with the inventory number 118.
Gilles Joubert (1689-1775), Commode, 1770. Bois précieux, ivoire, bronze, marbre - 90 x 47 x 65 cm. Versailles, Musée national du château (préemption le 27/6/14). Photo : Mathias-Ribeyre Baron
This furniture was delivered by the cabinetmaker Joubert in 1770, to the Room of Madame Adelaide. It was in the Bellevue Palace, which was offered by Louis XV to Madame de Pompadour and her daughters.
Gilles Joubert (1689-1775), called "carpenter of the king" at 74 years old, was the supplier of the Crown from 1748. He produced a large number of furniture (not less than 2,200 between 1763 and 1773, more than five hundred convenient) which sometimes led to subcontract to other cabinet makers. (To some specialists 's opinion, this convenient delivered by Joubert could be attributed to RVLC, that is to say, the cabinetmaker Roger van der Cruse).
Convenient acquired by Versailles has in its center a decorative inlay in ruins, and a decor bronze rosettes, close to other furniture Joubert, for example at the Getty or the Victoria & Albert Museum.
The Transition style corresponds to the first part of the Louis XVI style, it makes the transition between the originality of Louis XV style, and the return to the classic inspiration of Louis XVI style. This style is from 1750 to 1774.
At this time, people were rediscovering antiquity by uncovering the remains of Herculaneum (1738) and Pompeii in 1748. Excavations significantly influence the architecture and interior decoration.
The transition style was born under the leadership of innovative architects who wanted to stand out from the Louis XV and its excesses due to some decorators who were abusing curves, that's why they wanted to return to the rigor and symmetry inspired by the Greco-Roman world.
In 1758, the avant-garde collector Ange-Laurent de la Live de Jully commanded to the architect Louis-Joseph Lorain a series of furniture (visible today at the Chateau de Chantilly) which contrasts with the rococo style. The transition style is, as its name implies, an aesthetic style that mark the evolution of Louis XV to Louis XVI.
Transitional furniture were called at the time "in the Greek taste."
The discoveries of Herculaneum (1738) and Pompeii (1748), pushed elites passion for ancient civilizations and help create a new, sleek style, abandoning the excesses of Louis XV rococo style.
The furniture is made more architected, straight forms, and it starts to use ebony and bronze antique inspiration like Boulle furniture. The curve is abandoned, but the sides are still sometimes bent.
On ornamentation, antique bronzes inspiration can be found on the feet of furniture and represent human figures, laurel crowns, posts, scrolls, fluting, trophies, animal masks ...
Inlay continues to impose. We find the same bouquets of flowers, but are challenged by geometric frisages.
The convenient was a piece of furniture that was popular at that time. Among the new furniture include: transitional style bureau, bureaux dos d'âne, cylindre and lattes, secrétaires à abattant, Bonheur du Jour, Bureau à cylindre.
Commode en placage de bois de rose, amarante, filets d'amarante et cubes en sycomore. France, époque transition LXV – LXVI. Estampillée de J. G Schlichtig (maitre en 1765). estampillée sur le montant arrière gauche. Galerie La Tour Camoufle.
Cabinetmakers representative style
P. Garnier, in 1742
Cl Ch Saunier, master in 1752
R. Dubois, master in 1755, is credited with the invention of "Bonheur du jour"
Nicolas Petit (1732-1791), master in 1761
Leonard Boudin, master in 1761, whose invention is attributed office cylinder.
J.G.Schlishtig, master in 1765
Jean-Henri Riesener, master in 1768, born in Germany, he came to France and the Oeben student would have the greatest cabinetmaker of the period, which will continue its activity mainly in the Louis XVI Style
Johannes Abersold, master in 1780, born in Berne and raised in Paris
