Restoration of a Louis XV commode stamped Jean-Baptiste Fromageau. Its frame is made of oak and conifer. It is inlaid with rosewood within violet wood borders.
Curved at the front and flared at the sides, it opens with four drawers in three rows. Finally, a Grey marble Sainte-Anne the headdress.
Jean-Baptiste Fromageau
The son of a master carpenter, Jean-Baptiste Fromageau was born around 1725. Having become a master craftsman on November 5, 1755, he first established himself on Rue Traversière, then on Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine. In fact, the Dauphin almanac listed his workshop among the most important in Paris. A cabinetmaker, carpenter, and haberdasher all in one, he was an exception, as guilds were then highly regulated. Unlike Georges Jacob, he primarily produced cabinet-made furniture, but also seating. He crafted secretaries, slant-front desks, sideboards, bookcases, wardrobes, and tables. Above all, he produced a great many commodes in the Regency, Louis XV, Transition, and Louis XVI styles. In 1777, he ceased his activity and retired for a time to Versailles. He then returned to Paris where, in 1781, he ran the Hôtel de Russie on Rue de Richelieu.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- The workshops Parisian cabinetmakers and joiners in the 17th and 18th centuries – Guillaume Janneau – Serg Editions – 1975
- French Furniture of the 18th Century – Pierre Kjellberg – Les Editions de l'Amateur – 1989
State of affairs report
This chest of drawers had few missing veneers. However, all the veneered surfaces were slightly dehydrated. But the most significant defects were structural. Indeed, the panels had come loose and were no longer supporting the structure. Most importantly, the front left upright had detached from the left side.
The Restoration
First, we reattached the left upright to the side, then the top, back, and bottom panels. Next, sawn, scraped, sanded, and cut-to-the-correct thickness violet wood filled the remaining gaps on the reverse side. Then, a layer of glue was applied to rehydrate the veneer. After the grafts had oxidized, the old varnish was thinned and restored. Finally, a coat of clear shellac varnish completed the work.
