Transition-period Chest Of Drawers Stamped "fromageau"—18th Century

Transitional-period chest of drawers in rosewood with exotic wood marquetry, featuring two front drawers and a design of musical instruments in marquetry.
Gilded bronze ornamentation
Alep Breccia marble top
Stamped FROMAGEAU

18th-century French craftsmanship.

Dimensions: Height 87 cm x Length 130 cm x Depth 62.5 cm

Jean-Baptiste Fromageau

Carpenter and cabinetmaker. Paris. Became a master craftsman on November 5, 1755. In 1755, he resided on Rue Traversière, where he remained for another dozen years before moving his workshops to Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine.

The son of a master carpenter, Jean-Baptiste Fromageau, born around 1725, set up his workshop on Rue Traversière before establishing himself on Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine. The Dauphin Almanac lists his workshop as one of the most important in Paris. His prolific output was remarkably diverse. He specialized in both luxury cabinetmaking and simple joinery. His works included secretaries, sloping-top desks, sideboards, bookcases, wardrobes, tables...but above all, a vast number of chests of drawers in the Regency, Louis XV, Transition, and Louis XVI styles. He used bronze very sparingly—generally only for keyholes—and adorned his pieces with marquetry, often featuring flowers or foliage, drawn with elegance and precision. He ceased his activities in 1777, retired for a time to Versailles before returning to Paris, where he ran the Hôtel de Russie on Rue de Richelieu in 1781.