Chest of drawers in red lacquer with a Chinese landscape, Attributed to Adr

Dimensions : H 84 cm x W 130 cm x D 65 cm

This chest of drawers in red lacquer has a curved front and opens with two drawers without crosspieces inlaid with a Chinese decoration, pagodas and lake landscape. It is richly framed with rococo interlacing in gilded bronze and two keyholes, one of which falls elegantly to the second drawer.

The sides, also curved, are decorated with a Chinese style on a red lacquer background and framed with rocaille interlacing in gilded bronze.
The uprights of the front legs are curved and are decorated with gilt bronze falls, sabots and rods.
Its top is in Breche D'Alep marble, molded on its sides with a double-grooved corbin beak.

Restoration of wear and maintenance and recovery of the lacquer.
Very fine work from the Louis XV period, attributed to Adrien Delorme

Origins:

Michel Meyer Gallery
Sotheby's Sale April 2012


It is possible that Adrien Delorme was, for this kind of order, only an carpenter.

We know that he worked for a great merchant-mercer, Thomas-Joachim Hebert, who himself delivered, from 1746, this type of furniture to Madame de Pompadour. It was also he who allowed BVRB (Delorme's colleague) to provide Queen Marie Leczinska with the chest of drawers now on display at the Louvre but intended in 1737 for her retirement cabinet in Fontainebleau.

As the production of chests of drawers in red Chinese lacquer is quite rare for the time, it is very likely that he also worked for Lazare Duvaux, also Marchand-mercier, who listed in his Journal, the sale of several chests of drawers in red lacquer :

"June 1754-1771- Madame la Duchesse de Mirepoix: a chest of drawers veneered in red varnish with pagodas, trimmed everywhere in gilt bronze with ormolu with its Campan green marble of three and a half feet, 720 L.",

"March 1758- 3061- M. Duperron: a chest of drawers in red varnish garnished everywhere with gilded bronze of ormolu, with its Campan green marble of three and a half feet, 720 L."


Adrien DELORME, received master on June 22, 1748

Son of François Delorme (1691-1768) whose original name was Faizelot, Adrien Delorme was a very famous cabinetmaker of the 18th century thanks to his marquetry and lacquerware in the Far East style.

Although his career was long, he preferred the Louis XV Style, of which his large production of curved chests of drawers, cupboards and desks bear witness.
His activity stopped in 1783 when he sold his furniture at auction.


Even today, chests of drawers in red lacquer remain rare, however we can find some very similar to ours, made by Adrien Delorme.
Like the example in the dictionary of cabinetmakers and carpenters "French Furniture of the Eighteenth Century" by Pierre Kjellberg