Louis XV/Transition Commode by Nicolas Abraham Couleru

This slightly curved chest of drawers opens with three drawers. It is veneered with bottomless cubes of walnut, plum, and cherry wood. Its top is inlaid with a bouquet of flowers on an amaranth ground. The Plum, The wood, or plum, is distinguished by its sapwood edges: these create a lighter pattern and give the decoration an irregular appearance. The frame is made of fir and walnut. It is difficult to assign this commode to a specific style. It is Louis XV, but the simplicity of its stringing and the marquetry framing clearly foreshadows the restraint of the Louis XVI style.

Abraham-Nicolas Couleru Born in Bart in 1716, the son of Nicolas (1686-1767), a carpenter in Bart, he moved to Montbéliard with his father in 1720. After training as a wheel turner, he went to Paris in 1739 to study cabinetmaking. Returning in 1746, he settled in Montbéliard and earned his master craftsman's certificate in 1750. He quickly acquired a good reputation, which earned him the patronage of Duke Charles Eugene of Württemberg. He died on August 30, 1812, at the age of 95, after a long career and a considerable output. His long life allowed him to pass on his art to several descendants: Pierre-Nicolas (1735-1824), Marc-David (1732-1804), and Georges-David (1761-1845).

Until the beginning of Louis XVI's reign, Couleru produced a large number of commodes, desks, and secretaries, carefully crafted and tastefully decorated. He seems, however, to have specialized in slant-front desks.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Provincial Cabinetmaking in 18th-Century France and Abraham Nicolas Couleru – Bernard Deloche and Jean-Yves Mornand – Faton Editions – 2011

Before restoration

Upon arrival at the workshop, the chest of drawers had some veneer chips, a few missing stringings, and a piece of veneer missing from the marquetry on the top. As is often the case with cube marquetry, the glues were very dehydrated, and the cubes were curling throughout. The structure was in good condition, except for the top, which was coming loose. There are a few old rosewood grafts in place of the plum wood.

The Restoration

The restoration therefore consisted of replacing the missing pieces with new veneer that was sawn, scraped, and sanded, then glued on with hot glue. We then rehydrated all the glues by infiltration, with a slight application of heat.

We then thinned the old varnish to achieve a polish in the style of Roubo, as described in his 1774 work. This finish is closer to that likely used by Couleru. French polishing, in fact, only became widespread during the first half of the 19th century.

To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/

You can find this piece of furniture at Etienne Thuriet Antique Dealer