Louis XVI Desk With Step

A very fine Louis XVI stepped desk in rosewood veneer. It opens with a sliding curtain in the upper section and a drawer in the frieze. The tapered legs are joined by a stretcher shelf. Charles Topino (circa 1742-1803) – cabinetmaker – master craftsman, July 4, 1773: A prolific 18th-century cabinetmaker and great creator of fanciful furniture, Charles Topino's renown rests on his opulent pieces and his marquetry of utensils. Likely originally from Arras, Charles Topino began his career as a journeyman in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine district of Paris. He was the brother of the merchant-cabinetmaker Jean-Baptiste, known by the pseudonym Lebrund, and the nephew of the painter Topino-Lebrun. A master craftsman in 1773, he was appointed in 1782 as a representative of the guild of joiners and cabinetmakers. Recognized in France and abroad, Topino attracted a large clientele of merchants and cabinetmakers such as Boudin, Migeon or Delorme, but also French lords such as the Marquis de Graville.