Any art dealer and antique dealer would be, as I am, very proud to be able to present a piece of furniture such as this magnificent console with griffins from the Consulate period attributed to Adam Weisweiler for the cabinetmaking part and Lucien François Feuchère for the bronzes.
A "museum piece"!
The attribution to Weisweiler was not easy, this magnificent console could very naturally have been attributed to Jacob Desmalter or even to Charles Lemarchand.
Indeed, a similar console with griffins (bronze virgin) was delivered by Jacob Desmalter in 1802 to the hotel in the rue de la Victoire in Paris, then placed in 1806 at the Rambouillet palace, in the second salon of the empress. . However, the hocks are slightly "thicker" than on our model.
Another very similar console, the one delivered by Charles Lemarchand to the Château de la Malmaison around 1800, the lion's hocks, the wings and the structure of our console are found there, the griffin heads are replaced by winged female busts.
Much research, as well as the opinion of other specialists, has linked the shape of the hocks, claws, wings as well as the harmony and aesthetics of our console, to the production of Adam Weisweiler during the period of Consulate and Empire. Like the one stamped by Weisweiler (who like Pierre Antoine Bellangé, stamped barely a quarter of its production) around 1800, bought by Prince Esterhazy, today kept at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Budapest.
The gilded bronzes, of exceptional finesse, could easily be attributed to Lucien François Feuchère, with his very representative style. We also find the bronzes directly above the heads of the griffins on a clock signed by Feuchère, Psyche crowning Love. The palmettes and the crown are found on a pedestal table delivered to Versailles, to the Grand Trianon and whose authors were Lucien-François Feuchère for the bronzes and Adam Weisweiler for the cabinetmaking.
This pedestal table, thanks to the sculpture of the hocks and its gilded bronzes, perfectly matches the carving and harmony of our console.
Weisweiler, who worked mainly with Pierre Philippe Thomire for the "large ornamentations", particularly appreciated Feuchère's work and often collaborated with the latter to produce more "refined" models.
Between 1804 and 1809, the production of Empire furniture of Weisweiler knew a very important activity, if one refers to the sums owed by Thomire and Duterme, stated in the inventory, after death of Weisweiler.
Few pieces of furniture have come down to us, and the total identification with the principles implemented by the ornamentalists no longer makes it possible to distinguish them as before.
Almost all of Adam Weisweiler's furniture has an important past, all were part of known collections, or are believed to have belonged to important figures of the Empire (mainly the Emperor, Queen Hortense, Marshal Berthier, .. .).
Moreover, it is not known whether Weisweiler continued to work with Lignereux. It is very likely that he became a merchant from his installation in rue des Tournelles in 1797, thus ensuring the execution and sale of his production.
Having become almost dependent on orders from Thomire-Duterme, its production suffers from the renewal instilled by these sponsors.
However, Weisweiler got lost in the uniformity of Empire production, without succeeding in creating his own style, as he had been able to do between 1778 and 1790.
The Empire Furniture by Adam Weisweiler is no less sublime.
I let you appreciate the details of the griffins, up to the sculpture of the tongues of the latter, particularly impressive.
The gilding of these, with gold leaf comes to magnify a superb mahogany from Cuba.
The original black Belgian marble, in excellent condition, completes this work.
Exceptional condition ... for an exceptional piece!
If your research and your sensitivity lead you to attribute this magnificent console to Jacob-Desmalter or Charles Lemarchand, like certain other experts whom I have consulted, I would understand you completely.
A.weisweiler And L.f. Feuchère: Exceptional Large Console Consulate Period
DIMENSIONS
Longueur : 116 cm Hauteur : 93 cm Profondeur : 46 cm
DELIVERY
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BIBLIOGRAPHIE
BIBLIOGRAPHIE : - Weisweiler, Maurice Segoura, Editions d'art Monelle Hayot. - Mobilier Français Consulat et Empire, Jean pierre Samoyault. - Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIème Siècle - Pierre Kjellberg - Les Editions de l'Amateur - 2002 - Les ébénistes du XVIIIe siècle - Comte François de Salverte - Les éditions d'Art et d'Histoire - 1934 - Les ébénistes du XVIIIe siècle français - Collection Connaissance des Arts "Grands Artisans d'Autrefois"
ADAM WEISWEILER (1744-1820)
Reçu Maître ébéniste le 26 mars 1778 : Classé parmi les ébénistes les plus remarquables de son époque, Adam Weisweiler se démarque par ses meubles de fantaisie, repris d’après l’Antique. Né à Nieuwied-sur-le-Rhin, près de Coblentz, Weisweiler est initié au métier d’ébéniste dans les ateliers de David Roentgen. Il s’installe rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine en 1777, lorsqu’il se marie. Une fois devenu maître, il développe une grande notoriété. Il va recevoir de nombreuses commandes de la Cour, par le biais du marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre, pour lequel il livre ses ouvrages de manière régulière. Au cours de la Révolution, Weisweiler achète plusieurs immeubles. En 1797, il quitte le Faubourg Saint-Antoine pour la rue des Tournelles où il possède une boutique dans laquelle il va poursuivre ses activités d’ébéniste. Peu après le décès de sa femme en 1809, son fils unique Jean, qui travaille jusque-là avec lui, est interné dans un asile psychiatrique. A cette époque, Weisweiler est mentionné comme un ancien ébéniste. D’une grande diversité de formes et de matériaux, l’œuvre de Weisweiler n’en présente pas moins une grande unité – visible au cours des quinze années fécondes de l’ébéniste. Illustratrice du style dit « pompéien », sa manière se caractérise, par la plus belle des qualités mais aussi par son originalité. On lui prête des œuvres réalisées dans le meilleur goût et tout en habileté. Pour la structure de ses meubles, Weisweiler opte pour la légèreté, la simplicité et la rigidité. Ses meubles conjuguent la passion de l’antiquité et les attributs légués par les règnes précédents. Weisweiler aime les pieds en forme de colonnes, qui s’amincissent vers le sol et qu’il termine par des motifs inspirés de l’architecture antique. Des croisillons d’entrejambe renforcent souvent la fragilité de ses œuvres. Expert en ébénisterie, il favorise les bois précieux de chêne, d’acajou, d’ébène, d’amboine ou de thuya, sélectionnés parmi les essences de premier choix, qui mettent en valeur les lignes simples de ses meubles. Il y ajoute des baguettes de cuivre, souvent au niveau des pieds auxquels il donne des allures de colonnes doriques. S’il réalise très peu d’ouvrages en marqueterie, Weisweiler affiche dans les éléments décoratifs de ses œuvres une prédominance des plaques en porcelaine de Sèvres ou de Wedgwood ainsi que des panneaux en laque ou en corne rouge. Elève de Roentgen, il conserve de lui le goût des meubles à mécanisme ingénieux et des bureaux à secrets. Il se caractérise enfin par des meubles souvent de très petites dimensions comme le guéridon ou encore le bonheur-du-jour, toujours dessinés avec une extrême rigueur tout en légèreté.
LUCIEN-FRANÇOIS FEUCHÈRE (1766-1841)
Master bronzier and Master gilder. Son of Pierre François Feuchère Companion gilder with his father-in-law Chéron, to whom he succeeded as master in 1763. His bronze works (furniture decorations, clocks, sconces, candelabras, etc.) are still particularly popular, like those of his father. His workshop on rue ND de Nazareth provided the imperial furniture repository and would have counted more than 150 artisans and workers. His son Armand and his son-in-law Fossey will continue after him the family tradition of founder and gilder.
