Regency commode by François LIEUTAUD

Restoration of a Regency period commode in alternating rosewood and walnut, inlaid with friezes and stringing. Its slightly curved front opens with three wide drawers. A brass molding encircles the top, which features a geometric design of circles around a central polylobed motif adorned with figures. Polished brass fluting embellishes the uprights and rails. The sides are veneered with walnut in a diamond pattern. Finally, the tapered feet terminate in claw feet.

Furthermore, the commode features high-quality chased and gilded bronze mounts. These include keyhole escutcheons in the form of ribboned Apollo masks, symbols of the Sun King. This model can also be found in the works of François Lieutaud and Nicolas Sageot. In addition, there are handles with openwork palmette plaques and mascarons of bearded old men, or atlantes. Finally, palmette-decorated feet and a shell-shaped corbel flanked by acanthus leaves complete the decoration.

François LIEUTAUD (1665 – 1748)

Originally from Marseille, François Lieutaud received his master craftsman's certificate in Paris at the end of the 17th century. He then worked under Louis XIV and during the Regency, within the privileged enclosure of Saint-Jean-de-Latran. In fact, Louis XIV granted him a rare privilege: to create and manufacture the bronze mounts for his furniture. He collaborated with Noël Gérard, also a mercer, as well as with Charles Cressent. He even worked with André-Charles Boulle, who chose him as an expert witness during a trial in 1719. Furthermore, he founded a dynasty: his son Charles and his grandson Balthazar, famous for his regulator clocks, would practice the same craft. For a long time, historians overlooked him because he only stamped his work with his initials, "FL." Yet, he ranks among the greatest cabinetmakers of his time.

Bibliography

• French Cabinetmakers from Louis XIV to the Revolution – Editions du Chêne – 1989 – Alexandre Pradere