Restoration of a Louis XV commode stamped by the Parisian cabinetmaker Pierre Roussel. It is constructed of oak, with softwood panels. It is veneered with rosewood Arranged in a fern shape, framed by violet wood. The nets are made of boxwood.
The Roussels
Pierre Roussel was the son of Michel Roussel, a journeyman cabinetmaker from the Cotentin peninsula. His younger brothers, Jacques, Michel, and Louis, chose carpentry; he was the only one to opt for cabinetmaking. He earned his master's certificate on August 21, 1745. He set up shop in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, on Rue de Charenton, opposite Rue Saint-Nicolas, under the sign "L'Image de Saint Pierre" (The Image of Saint Peter). He quickly gained a great reputation among the leading cabinetmakers of the capital. This earned him the title of sworn accountant in 1762, then sworn accountant in 1763-1764. In 1767, he was chosen as an expert to arbitrate a dispute between his colleague Grandjean and a furniture broker. Recognized and appreciated by his peers, he became a representative of the cabinetmakers' guild in 1777, then deputy syndic in 1779, and finally syndic the following year. From 1775 to 1780, the Prince of Condé commissioned him to make approximately 10,000 pounds worth of furniture for the Palais-Bourbon and the Château de Chantilly.
His small fortune allowed him to marry one of his four daughters to a notary at the Châtelet. Another married a clerk at the registry of the Chamber of Accounts.
He worked for his fellow cabinetmakers and merchants such as Pierre Migeon IV, Adrien Delorme, Joseph Baumhauer, Jean Pierre Latz and Mathieu Guillaume Cramer.
He supplied Honet and Thurin in 1769, then Bétault and Ravary in 1771. He employed the bronze workers Joseph Noël Turpin, André Ravrio, Dubost and the gilder Trufot.
Pierre Roussel died suddenly at the age of fifty-nine. The inventory of his wares, drawn up after his death by the cabinetmakers Leleu and Cochois, attests to the firm's prosperity. His estate comprised 244 pieces representing a total of 18,000 livres. The workshops and storerooms housed about fifty commodes, both square and circular (that is, half-moon shaped). There were also commodes in the "tomb" and "console" styles, English-style tables, Dauphine-style tables, breakfast tables, and tables for various purposes. In addition, there were numerous pieces in marquetry or mosaic of Indian woods, lacquer, and mahogany.
He signed his works with the stamp "P.ROUSSEL". If Pierre "the Younger" continued to use the same stamp as his father after his death, Pierre-Michel would register a slightly different stamp: taller, rounder letters and without slight serifs.
The widow Roussel, née Marie-Antoinette Fontaine, continued to manage the business and, following custom, retained her husband's mark to sign the work of her sons, who were in partnership with her. These craftsmen had proven themselves: the elder, Pierre-Michel, had held the master craftsman's title since August 28, 1766; the second, Pierre, known as "the younger," since August 13, 1771. Pierre remained with his mother. The elder son operated a sort of branch dedicated to luxury furniture at 310 rue Saint-Honoré, next to the Jacobin convent. He retained the favor of the Prince of Condé and became one of the suppliers to the Court. Among the pieces listed under his name in the royal accounts were a "mottled mahogany secretary desk with corner pieces on the sides, adorned with fine bronze mounts," and a matching bookcase that also featured side shelves. He sold his business in the month of Fructidor of year II (August – September 1793) and retired to rue de Gramont, where he died on December 15, 1822, at the head of a substantial fortune.
Pierre the Younger appears among the suppliers to the Menus Plaisirs of Versailles in 1785 and 1786. In 1792, he partnered with a certain Mr. Durantin to trade in exotic woods. His trail goes cold after 1813. He is known to have been alive in 1820.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- French Furniture of the 18th Century – Pierre Kjellberg – Les Editions de l'Amateur – 2008
- 18th-Century Cabinetmakers – Count François de Salverte – Art and History Editions – 1975
- The Roussel Family: A Dynasty of Cabinetmakers in the 18th Century (Hardcover) – François Quéré – Faton – 2012
Condition report before restoration
This chest of drawers was in relatively good condition, unlike the furniture I'm usually given. The specifications therefore stipulated restoring the missing veneer, repairing the old, unsightly repairs, rehydrating the veneered surfaces, and overhauling the drawer slides.
The Restoration
Since the structure was sound, there was no question of dismantling the piece of furniture. Dismantling is not a routine procedure: it must be justified, as it damages old glues and original joinery.
I therefore chose to reattach the sides under vacuum, applying a membrane directly to them. This process allows for highly effective regeneration of the adhesives. It is only slightly tedious to implement.
I restored the missing veneer and replaced the old grafts that were laid against the grain. I used sawn veneer, scraped, sanded and cut to the correct thickness for the backing, then glued it in place with hot glue.
After oxidizing the grafts, I thinned and then reworked the old varnish with a pad, before applying a new finish of colorless shellac. The Arte company restored and gilded the bronzes.
To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
