Offered by Galerie Leroy
Large Louis XV commode, bombé on all sides and strongly curved at the front, stamped MONDON (1694–1770), early 18th century. Rare length of 146 cm.
In violetwood veneer, marquetry in cross-hatched pattern on the façade, and geometric motifs on the sides.
It opens at the front with four very pronounced bombe drawers arranged in three rows.
Very rich gilt-bronze ornamentation.
The top is a veined red marble, edged with a bec-de-corbin moulding.
It rests on slightly cabriole legs. A rare piece.
The interiors of the four drawers are in superb walnut.
Dimensions: 146 cm wide at the back, 118 cm at the front, 64 cm deep, 85 cm high.
François Mondon (1694–1770)
This 18th-century cabinetmaker came from a family of craftsmen from the Dauphiné, spread across France and abroad. He was a great specialist of commodes in the Régence taste.
The date of his maîtrise is unknown, but likely in the 1730s. From his workshop in the rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, under the sign “La Pie”, he produced many commodes reminiscent of the bulbous tombeau models, as well as Louis XV commodes with straight uprights. Some were supplied to his confrère and dealer Pierre Migeon.
His stamp, without a first name, also appears on Louis XV pieces of softer outline—two-drawer commodes, almost always with an apparent crossbar—as well as on secretaries, flat desks, and slant-front desks, though rarely on lighter furniture.
Conservative in both form and decoration, Mondon favoured dark veneers of violetwood or rosewood. His bronzes, sometimes discreet, sometimes opulent, were inspired by Louis XV and Régence models.
Among his most characteristic works are two types of commodes without crossbars: one in violetwood veneer with rich rocaille gilt-bronze decoration, the other with trellis marquetry and a floral reserve.
After his death, his son François Antoine Mondon took over the workshop.
