Overview

Jean-Henri Riesener (1734–1806) was one of the greatest French cabinetmakers of all time. From humble beginnings as a German immigrant in Paris, he found fame through the delivery of a magnificent roll-top desk to Louis XV in 1769 and went on to become Marie-Antoinette’s favourite cabinetmaker, supplying the queen and the court of Louis XVI with sumptuous furniture of superb quality. Renowned for his exquisite marquetry and refined designs, his pieces were ornamented with spectacular gilt-bronze mounts made by some of the greatest metalworkers in Paris. In the nineteenth century, Riesener’s name became associated with the very best of Louis XVI-period French furniture; his pieces continue to be highly sought after and are found in major museums worldwide. This first major monograph on Riesener traces his life and career, bringing new insights into his business practice, his designs and construction techniques. Based on the extensive collections of Riesener furniture in the Wallace Collection, Waddesdon Manor and the Royal Collection, the authors examine the objects and their history, and highlight the changing tastes of the nineteenth-century collectors who acquired so many former French royal pieces. The new illustrations and visual glossary add another important resource for art historians, decorative arts enthusiasts and furniture lovers.

Full Product Details

Author:   Helen Jacobsen ,  Rufus Bird ,  Mia Jackson
Publisher:   Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd
Imprint:   Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd
Weight:   1.862kg
ISBN:  

9781781300909

ISBN 10:   1781300909
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   10 December 2020
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

The Riesener, Oeben & Vandercruse families THE CABINETMAKER Jean-Henri Riesener: a portrait sketch Christian Baulez A German in Paris Laura Langelüddecke Jean-Henri Riesener and the business of furniture-making Carolyn Sargentson A question of language: the royal furniture administration’s accounts Lindsay Macnaughton ‘Executed in the taste of painting’: Riesener’s marquetry designs Mia Jackson Jean-Henri Riesener: the portraits Juliet Carey THE COLLECTORS From Versailles to Windsor Castle: George IV and Riesener Rufus Bird Alteration and appropriation: the 4th Marquess of Hertford and the taste for Riesener Helen Jacobsen Riesener and the Rothschilds at Waddesdon Manor Ulrich Leben Buying from Britain: the development of a new market Daniëlle Kisluk-Grosheide THE FURNITURE Works in the Wallace Collection, the Royal Collection & Waddesdon Manor THE MATERIALS & TECHNIQUES Materials and techniques Jürgen Huber Visual glossary Alexander Collins

Reviews

The first serious Riesener monograph. -- Alexandre Pradere * The Art Newspaper *

Author Information

Helen Jacobsen is senior curator and curator of French eighteenth-century decorative arts at the Wallace Collection. Rufus Bird is Surveyor of The Queen’s Works of Art. Mia Jackson is Curator of Decorative Arts at Waddesdon Manor.

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