Restoration of a transitional commode stamped three times E.AVRIL, in amaranth, rosewood, satinwood and green-tinted stringing on an oak and conifer frame.
Etienne Avril (1748-1791)
Having received his master craftsman's certificate on November 23, 1774, and dying prematurely in 1791, Étienne Avril, known as Avril the Elder to avoid confusion with his brother Pierre, would witness the demise of the Ancien Régime and the abolition of the centuries-old guild system. Born in 1748 to a cab driver, Étienne Avril was by no means destined for the cabinetmaking trade. Virtually nothing is known about his training or the path that led him to obtain his master's certificate in 1774.
In April 1788 he left his first workshop located on rue de Charentonne, keeping only the shops at the Saint-Antoine gate, to acquire a plot of land and a small building located between the boulevard de la Porte Saint Antoine and the cul-de-sac of rue Jean-Beau-Sire.
On June 14, 1791, the "Volunteer Soldier in the Minims Battalion" died in the late afternoon, leaving his family a fully operational workshop, as well as numerous debts.
What an irony of fate, considering that it was on June 14, 1791, that Le Chapelier banned professional associations.
- In the interest of consistency with the Allarde decree, which proclaimed freedom of enterprise and prohibited guilds, the French Constituent Assembly forbade the reconstitution of any professional association, whether of employers or employees. Article two of the law introduced by Deputy Isaac Le Chapelier states: «"Citizens of the same state or profession, entrepreneurs, those who have open shops, when they are together, may not appoint themselves as presidents, secretaries, or trustees, keep registers, make decrees or resolutions, or form regulations concerning their alleged common interests."».
His work is most often characterized by the use of mahogany and satinwood. The rigorous and simple lines of large, smooth surfaces are typical of the Louis XVI style. Avril's oeuvre also includes, though in smaller quantities, furniture veneered in lemonwood and rosewood, as well as a few pieces featuring geometric marquetry.
He worked primarily for haberdashers such as Bonnemain Jeune, Louis-Jacques Prudot, and Gabard. But also for prestigious clients such as the Countess du Barry, the Marquise de Choiseul Gouffier, and the Princes of Carignan… However, his most prestigious commission appears to have been for Queen Marie Antoinette for her apartment at the Château de Saint-Cloud.
After his death, several auctions, each lasting several days, were organized to empty them of the countless number of his accumulated goods.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Vétois, Isabelle. Furniture making in 18th-century Paris: Étienne Avril. In: Histoire de l'art, No. 16, 1991. Decorative Arts. pp. 29-40
- French Furniture of the 18th Century – Pierre Kjellberg – Les Editions de l'Amateur – 2009
- Cabinetmakers of the 18th Century – Count François de Salverte – Art and History Publishers – 1923
The Restoration
Or rather, a conservation project on this chest of drawers. The task at hand was to focus on the deterioration of the varnish and to preserve the existing varnish as well as previous restorations.
The old varnish, which had been clumsily applied with a brush, was removed and a new protective film of French polish with colorless shellac was applied.
The bronzes were also stripped because they had been varnished and they were cleaned with steam.
To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
Well, you can do a request
What is the impact of the French furniture as what is so restored, during the period of transition, how much is it? 10 decimi quindi 1 millimeter oppure di più?
Well, normally the impiallacciatura on this furniture is approximately 1 mm, but it could easily arrive at 3 mm for furniture that may be restored.
Thank you for the reply.