Rennes Marriage Armoire signed Croizé

Charles II Croizé was the son of the most important sculptor in the Rennes region, and he in turn became the most renowned of his generation. We know that he was born in 1775, that he settled in Pacé, and that his four sons would also become cabinetmakers. The Croizé workshop, located at the very heart of what is referred to as the “Rennes fertile crescent,” was the largest and most prominent in the region. There, in addition to the Croizé sons, numerous apprentices were trained—many of whom would go on to become some of the most skilled sculptors of their time.

Jean-Yves Veillard, former curator of the Rennes Museums and author of a monograph on the Croizé family, tells us:

“In 1836, Jean-Charles Croizé was established in the village of Pacé; he was in his sixtieth year. Three of his sons—the second through the fourth—worked with him; to this should be added a sixteen-year-old apprentice, forming a workshop of five people. His eldest son, Julien-Charles, was also based in the village and employed two workers. Five years later, the size of the first workshop had changed slightly. In place of the sixteen-year-old apprentice were two journeymen aged twenty-five. At over sixty-five years old, Jean-Charles Croizé remained the head of the workshop, and apart from the eldest, none of the three other sons, aged between twenty-three and thirty, had sought to set up on their own. In 1846, (Jean-)Charles Croizé was still recorded as a cabinetmaker (then seventy-two years old) and had kept his youngest son working alongside him.”

When he succeeded his father, Charles II Croizé at first used a distinctive signature typeface, “CROIzé”, between around 1813 and 1826, although he also used the full signature “CROIZÉ” on two exceptional wardrobes dated 1824 (in the collection of the Musée de Bretagne) and 1825 (formerly in our own collection)—both dated on the 28th of the month, as was his particular habit.
After 1826, only the more general inscription “FAIT (or FAITE) PAR CROIZÉ” appears on the frames of his wardrobes. This change reflects the fact that his sons—Julien-Charles (for a time, before setting up on his own), Pierre-Jean (the second, born in 1811), Charles-Pierre, and Jean-Marie—had joined him in the workshop, assisting him, some as master sculptors, alongside several other journeymen.

This wardrobe is therefore a product of the Croizé workshop, bearing its signature, though it is impossible to determine its exact maker with certainty. However, we believe it bears the unmistakable “chisel” of Charles II Croizé himself, especially as 1848 was the year of his death.

In any case, like our other recently sold wardrobe dated 1836, this piece features the distinctive decorative elements of the Croizé workshop: Ionic columns with molded upper panels, a heart motif at the center of the lower rail (a true figurative signature of the Croizé family), perfectly curved feet (a form rarely achieved so gracefully by other cabinetmakers in the Rennes region), a finely worked cornice pediment, and an overall elegance of carving marked by a perfect fluidity of line without harshness or rigidity.

For further reference, see our study on the Croizé family, in which this wardrobe is illustrated:
http://antiquites-gledel-philippe.chez-alice.fr/le_Mobilier_du_pays_de_Rennes.htm#Les-Croize

Bibliography:

Les Beaux Meubles Rustiques du Vieux Pays de Rennes – Dr. Jambon / Éd. Laffitte

Menuisiers et Mobilier du Pays de Rennes – Gwénaël Baron / Éd. Apogée

Condition:
Very fine overall original condition, with minor customary restorations.

This piece has undergone a particularly thorough restoration; its original deep patina has been revived through fine sanding, polishing, filling, and meticulous waxing, resulting in an absolutely superb finish.

Dimensions:
Height: 2.49 m × Width: 1.42 m × Depth: 0.59 m
(excluding cornice overhang for the latter two).