Restoration of a Louis XVI console stamped by Louis Noël Malle, in solid mahogany for the legs and mottled mahogany veneer on oak frames.
Louis-Noël Malle
Born in 1734, Louis-Noël Malle obtained his master craftsman's certificate on November 18, 1765. He established his shop and workshop on Grande-Rue-du-Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, in collaboration with his wife, Marie-France Le Maître. He was recognized as one of the greatest marquetry craftsmen of his time, as we can see in this note from The General Almanac of Merchants In 1771 and 1772, his name was misspelled as "Le Mille." His "works in ebony and olive wood, and other colored woods, as well as tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl" were particularly praised. His body of work is therefore very varied, and among his extensive production, one finds diverse techniques. He favored musical instruments, bouquets of flowers, landscapes, but also geometric forms: cubes and friezes à la reine. One also finds depictions of ruins or cities with figures.
Louis-Noël Malle had chosen the path of independence. The commercial records of the Archives de la Seine acknowledge his active production intended for Parisian merchants, notably, in 1772, to the upholsterer Richard, in 1772, to Léchevin, in 1777 to Leclerc as well as to Basse in 1779 and in 1780 to Beury.
After his death on February 24, 1782, his wife continued the furniture business until the Revolution. Their son, François-Noël, himself admitted to the guild, was unable to exercise its rights, dying prematurely in 1786. He had just married the daughter of the cabinetmaker Gérard Peridiez.
Bibliography
- French Furniture of the 18th Century – Pierre Kjellberg – Les Editions de l'Amateur – 1989
- The workshops Parisian cabinetmakers and joiners in the 17th and 18th centuries – Guillaume Janneau – Serg Editions – 1975
State of affairs report
A console table that is in good condition. No veneer peeling, a solid and well-preserved structure, but the varnish is slightly yellowed and moldy in places, and most importantly, the legs have met their worst enemy: a dog!
Yellowing?
The yellowing/browning of the varnish film occurs within the first few days of extraction of these materials through polymerization and oxidation upon contact with UV light and oxygen. This entirely natural and unavoidable phenomenon occurs when artworks have been varnished with natural resins such as... shellac or copal.
What is a "chanci" varnish?
Fade is a change in the refractive index within the varnish layer, resulting in a whitening appearance. Put simply, it consists of micro-cracks that alter the refraction of light in the topcoat.
The Restoration
The restoration focused on conservation; the old varnish was regenerated using a polar eco-solvent before being reworked with colorless shellac. Dog bites were filled with an aliphatic resin, tinted, and color-corrected before varnishing.
Regeneration
The process of restoring a faded varnished finish involves applying a liquid solvent to re-solubilize the varnish, allowing it to re-adher to the surface. This operation aims to fill micro-cracks and thus preserve the existing finish on the furniture. This is the preferred solution when possible.
