Chest Of Drawers Signed François Linke (1855-1946) 19th Century

Rare Louis XV chest of drawers curved on all sides, decorated with Rosewood marquetry in chiseled and gilded bronze frames; The sides are inlaid in the shape of a sun. It opens on the front with 2 large drawers without crosspieces. Very rich ornamentation of chiseled and gilded bronzes, the one at the bottom in the center is signed F. Linke. Our chest of drawers is topped with molded Aleppo breccia marble. It measures 110 CM in length, 55 CM in depth and 81 CM in height. It is in very good condition. François Linke is a French cabinetmaker of Czech origin (born in 1855 in Pankraz[1] in Bohemia, and died in Paris in 1946). He began his apprenticeship in Bohemia at the age of 13 and worked in Prague, Vienna and Budapest before moving to Paris in 1875. He waited until 1881 to create his own workshop at 170 rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine. Taking up the styles of the 18th century, he adapted them to the taste of the day and produced quality furniture which contributed to the development of his activity. The use of dolphin offcuts, the quality of his design and his carvings are characteristic of his production, which in this respect is close to that of Gervais Durand. The gold medal of the Jury received in 1900 during the Universal Exhibition in Paris for his large desk and his armchair made with Léon Messagé, definitively established Linke's reputation. He continued to attend the major world exhibitions at the beginning of the century. In addition to his references to the Regency and Rococo styles, the furniture he produced used the forms and fluidity of Art Nouveau. He opened a store on Place Vendôme and enjoyed growing success until the Second World War.