Pierre I Roussel, Louis XV Period Chest Of Drawers.

Lovely chest of drawers of small width, curved shape in plan and in elevation with the front uprights slightly pinched, it rests on small curved feet connected by fretted crosspieces, the chest of drawers opens with 3 drawers on the front. The front of the drawers is veneered with a large contoured cartouche in rosewood connected in 4 sheets "closed" called "diamond point" underlined with fine boxwood fillet on a rosewood background, the drawer edges softened by a quarter round are veneered with rosewood crosswise, the uprights and crosspieces are veneered with rosewood. The sides of the chest of drawers are veneered with a large satin cartouche connected in 4 sheets "open" in contoured frames of boxwood on a rosewood background. Beautiful gilt bronze ornamentation, well complete with on the front uprights falls, descents, slippers, the drawer fronts receive fixed handles and lock entries and the front low crosspiece an openwork apron. Marble top period molded with a corbin beak formerly restored at the two rear corners (glued and pinned very discreetly). The frame of the chest of drawers is made of softwood and oak, the drawers are assembled in the traditional way for a Parisian cabinetmaker, in oak with the exception of the drawer fronts made from gluing softwood planks. The chest of drawers is stamped P. ROUSSEL under the marble, on the edge of the left side crosspiece, the stamp is barely legible due to wear from rubbing with the marble, but can nevertheless be read in raking light. The stamp is accompanied by the JME, jurande of master carpenters and Parisian cabinetmakers affixed from 1751 to 1789. The P. Roussel stamp corresponds to that of Pierre I Roussel, renowned Parisian cabinetmaker, he will be received master on February 8, 1745 at only 22 years old, from a line of Parisian master carpenters, he will choose cabinetmaking and will excel in this field, he will be the first of a dynasty including Pierre-Michel Roussel master cabinetmaker, and Pierre II Roussel cabinetmaker, he is also related to Balthazard Coulon, Parisian master cabinetmaker by the marriage between Marie-Françoise Antoinette Roussel (daughter of Pierre I) and Nicolas Balthazard Coulon (son of Balthazard), the work dedicated to this family of cabinetmakers "the Roussels a dynasty of cabinetmakers in the 18th century" by François Quéré published by Faton provides us with a list of a part of the private clientele of Pierre I Roussel including: The Counts of Bouville, the Count of Orsay, the Viscount of Vassan, the eighth Prince of Condé and the Duke of Penthièvre. Pierre I is recognized for having left a production "abundant, diverse and of excellent quality", "always of very careful manufacture", "often refined", according to Pierre Kjellberg in his work "Dictionary of cabinetmakers and carpenters". The chest of drawers that we present is from the Louis XV period and can be dated to around the 1760s. It is in very good condition, it has its period locks, the furniture is varnished with a French polish. Dimensions on marble: Width: 77 cm Depth: 44.5 cm Height: 81 cm