Restauration d’une commode Transition estampillée du maitre ébéniste léonard Boudin (1735 à Paris – 20/12/1807). Elle est bâtie de chêne massif et est plaquée d’amarante, de bois de rose et de satiné rubanée (Brosimun rubescens) qui procure cet aspect très décoratif dû au contrefil très prononcé du débit sur quartier de ce bois d’Amérique du Sud. À noter qu’il appartient à la même famille que l’amourette (Brosimun guianense).
Boudin étant principalement marchand lors de la période transition, il est probable que cette commode soit en réalité de la main (avant maîtrise) de André Louis Gilbert (1746-1809) reçu maitre à Paris le 20 Juillet 1774.
Leonard Boudin
Born in 1735 in Paris, into a very modest family, he began his career as a simple laborer. He was quickly employed by Pierre Migeon (a renowned cabinetmaker and merchant). Having obtained his master craftsman's certificate on March 4, 1761, he set up his workshop on Rue Traversière and continued to work for Migeon and other cabinetmakers. Then, from 1770 onward, he received commissions from numerous renowned merchants, such as Louis. Then, from 1770 onwards, he received commissions from numerous renowned merchants, such as Louis Moreau and Gerard Peridiez, and quickly acquired a great reputation for his varied and exquisitely crafted marquetry. In 1772, while still maintaining his workshop, he opened a retail store on rue Fromenteau, which he moved in 1777 to the cloister of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois.
Advertisement by Léonard Boudin – December 1777 – in «"The Journal of Small Posters"»
- Mr. Boudin, cabinetmaker and upholsterer of the cloister of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, of a very well-stocked store of furniture of all kinds in the new style, chests of drawers, secretaries and other works of cabinetmaking, fires, arms and clocks gilded with ground gold, clocks with bases of white marble, mirrors, chandeliers and works of China, in vessel and castles of mother-of-pearl.
Faced with a surge in orders, he in turn enlisted the help of other cabinetmakers (including Topino, Evalde, and Denizot) and became one of the leading dealers in Paris. Gradually, Boudin abandoned his own production, offering his clients only the works of his colleagues, hence the double stamp found on numerous pieces (Tuart, Letellier, Dubois, Gilbert, Vié, Topino, Cordié, Birklé, Macret, Latz, Chevallier, Evalde, Fléchy, Péridiez). However, furniture bearing only Boudin's stamp has also been observed, though these pieces were not made by Léonard himself, but rather by his colleagues.
Salverte describes Boudin as "greedy for gain" and cites several steps taken by the cabinetmaker to force some of his colleagues to repay debts that were sometimes minimal.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- French Furniture of the 18th Century – Pierre Kjellberg – Les Editions de l'Amateur – 2002
- Cabinetmakers of the 18th Century – Count François de Salverte – Art and History Publishers – 1923
- The stamp "The Art Object" – Patricia Lemonnier – Faton – June 1989
- L’essence du bois – Manuel d’identification macroscopique des bois du mobilier français – XVIe-XXe s Relié – Patrick Georges – Emmanuel Maurin – Marie-Christine Trouy-Jacquemet – Dominique Bouchardon – Editions du Patrimoine – 2020
Le travail de restauration sur cette commode à consisté à retirer l’épais vernis cellulosique qui avait jauni et dévoilai une multitude de maquilles disgracieuse. La plupart des bouchages ont été repris et les manques ont été restitué par du placage de satiné scié, raclé, poncé et mis à la bonne épaisseur en contre parement avant collage à la colle chaude.
Les greffes ont ensuite été oxydées et les retouches de perces ont été effectuées à l’aquarelle. La commode a enfin été vernis au tampon incolore. les bronzes ont été redoré par la maison ARTE.
To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
