VANDERCRUSE, Roger

This late Louis XV gilt-bronze marquetry bonheur du jour is stamped RVLC. A bonheur du jour (French, meaning “daytime delight”) is a type of lady’s writing desk. It was introduced in Paris about 1760.

This small table with porcelain top is a notable work by Roger Vandercruse.

Numerous new types of furniture appeared in France in the 1700s with varied and specialized functions. This bedside cabinet was decorated on all four sides so that it could be placed wherever it was needed in the room. The tambour door at the top slides back, revealing a marble lined shelf that would have been used to hold a chamber pot. The doors below conceal two sets of drawers. At the right side is a drawer that once contained writing materials: a gilt bronze inkpot, a pot for sand, and a sponge box.

This is a commode of breakfront form, on tall cabriole legs, veneered with floral and trellis marquetry, with gilt-bronze mounts and Spanish brocatelle marble top. It is veneered with tulipwood and parquetry of various woods. The mounts are gilt bronze.

This form of commode or chest of drawers, with a ‘breakfront’ or projection section in the middle, was particularly favoured by the Parisian cabinet-maker Roger Vandercruse, although his was not the only workshop to produce them. A number of commodes stamped on the carcase with his ‘R V L C’ mark are known, and some are known to have been made for members of the court. The combination of trellis marquetry and marquetry of flowers was another feature of Vandercruse’s work.

The design of the lower part of the central panel was copied from a series of engravings of baskets and vases of flowers, published by L. Tessier. It was common practice for cabinet-makers and specialist makers of marquetry to use engravings to create their designs, combining elements from two or more engravings to create a new composition.

This late Louis XV gilt-bronze mounted paduk commode ‘à la Grecque’ is stamped RVLC. It was inspired by the famous model designed by Jean-Fran�ois Oeben who delivered seventeen pieces of it to Madame de Pompadour for her Château de M�nars.

This ormolu-mounted and marquetry ‘secr�taire à abattant’ (drop-front secretary) is of transition style.

This late Louis XV table en chiffonni�re (work and writing table) is stamped RVLC.