What defines a Louis XV Vernis Martin commode?

A Louis XV Vernis Martin commode combines a curved, bombee wooden frame with hand-painted decorative lacquered panels, a technique invented by the 18th-century Martin brothers in Paris. These pieces typically feature ornate gilt-bronze mounts, cabriole legs, and a marble slab surface.

What materials are used in French Rococo revival commodes?

Late 19th-century French Rococo revival commodes are constructed using tropical hardwood veneers such as kingwood or rosewood, topped with shaped marble slabs. The decorative elements consist of cast and chased gilt-bronze mounts surrounding hand-painted oil lacquer panels.

How can you identify authentic 19th-century French revival furniture?

Authentic 19th-century French revival pieces exhibit hand-chased gilt-bronze mounts with sharp detail, dovetail jointed drawers, and heavy, fitted marble tops. The painted Vernis Martin scenes display natural craquelure and fine detail framed tightly by custom-fitted bronze armatures.

How do you style a French commode in a modern interior?

Position the commode as a focal point against a neutral backdrop, such as a plain wall in a hallway or drawing room, to balance its intricate ornamentation. Pair it with minimalist modern artwork or simple wall sconces above to allow the decorative bronze work and woodwork to stand out.

How should antique kingwood and gilt bronze be preserved?

Dust the surfaces regularly using a soft, dry microfibre cloth and avoid placing the item near direct heat sources or damp areas to prevent veneer movement. Use a dry bristles brush to gently remove dust from the recessed areas of the gilt-bronze mounts without applying chemical polishes.

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Lee Hawkins Antiques & Interiors

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A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

Name: A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1232398
Price: 4400 GBP
Availability: InStock

19th century

For Sale by Lee Hawkins Antiques & Interiors

Description

A particularly fine French Louis XV Revival kingwood and gilt-bronze mounted commode, dating to the last quarter of the nineteenth century, circa 1880–1890, and centred by an impressive Vernis Martin style painted fête galante scene.

The commode is of elegant bombé form, the serpentine front fitted with two drawers sans traverse, allowing the painted composition and surrounding gilt-bronze decoration to flow continuously across the façade.

Richly figured veneers are arranged throughout the front and sides, framed by an extensive scheme of finely modelled gilt-bronze foliate mounts. The cabinet is raised on slender cabriole legs terminating in decorative sabots and is surmounted by a substantial shaped breccia marble top.

The quality of the decorative treatment is immediately apparent. A large painted scene occupies the centre of the two drawer fronts, depicting elegantly dressed figures gathered within a romantic landscape in the eighteenth-century fête galante tradition.

Rather than treating each drawer separately, the maker conceived the façade as a single decorative composition. The scene continues across the two drawers and is enclosed within an elaborate cartouche of scrolling gilt-bronze foliage, creating the appearance of a framed painting integrated directly into the furniture.

Further gilt-bronze mounts extend across the kingwood ground, with richly modelled foliate ornament to the corners, drawer surrounds and shaped lower apron. The curving side panels are similarly enriched, demonstrating that the decorative scheme was intended to be appreciated from several viewpoints.

The cabinet stands on four slender cabriole supports, the front legs terminating in scrolling gilt-bronze sabots. Above, the shaped marble top follows the serpentine outline of the carcass and provides a substantial architectural finish to the piece.

Vernis Martin Decoration

The painted decoration belongs to the nineteenth-century revival of Vernis Martin, a decorative tradition closely associated with luxurious eighteenth-century French furniture and revived by leading Parisian cabinetmakers during the nineteenth century.

Scenes of fashionable figures, pastoral landscapes and romantic gatherings were particularly well suited to the highly decorative Louis XV Revival furniture made for wealthy European and international interiors during the Belle Époque.

Workshop Number

The reverse of the commode bears a stencilled “489”. The significance of this number has not presently been established and it may represent a workshop, stock, assembly or inventory reference.

No definitive maker's stamp has been located, and the commode is therefore catalogued conservatively as a high-quality French work of the last quarter of the nineteenth century rather than attributed to a specific Parisian workshop.

Collector's Note

This is an especially attractive example of late nineteenth-century French Louis XV Revival furniture, combining the rich colour and movement of kingwood, the sculptural quality of extensive gilt-bronze ornament and the decorative appeal of a large painted Vernis Martin composition.

Its generous proportions, uninterrupted painted façade and unusually extensive mounting give the commode considerably greater presence than many standard examples of the period, making it an excellent statement piece for both traditional and contemporary interiors.

Physical Dimensions

Height

90cm (35.43")

Width

100cm (39.37")

Depth

54cm (21.26")

Declaration

Lee Hawkins Antiques & Interiors has dated this Vernis Martin Kingwood Commode to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1232398

Description

fig 1. A French Louis XV revival bombee commode in kingwood with gilt-bronze mounts, a central hand-painted Vernis Martin scene, and a marble top. — fig 1. A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

The commode is of elegant bombé form, the serpentine front fitted with two drawers sans traverse, allowing the painted composition and surrounding gilt-bronze decoration to flow continuously across the façade.

“

Richly figured veneers are arranged throughout the front and sides, framed by an extensive scheme of finely modelled gilt-bronze foliate mounts.

Lee Hawkins Antiques & Interiors

The cabinet is raised on slender cabriole legs terminating in decorative sabots and is surmounted by a substantial shaped breccia marble top.

fig 2. A French Louis XV revival bombee commode in kingwood with gilt-bronze mounts, a central hand-painted Vernis Martin scene, and a marble top. — fig 2. A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

The quality of the decorative treatment is immediately apparent. A large painted scene occupies the centre of the two drawer fronts, depicting elegantly dressed figures gathered within a romantic landscape in the eighteenth-century fête galante tradition.

fig 3. A French Louis XV revival bombee commode in kingwood with gilt-bronze mounts, a central hand-painted Vernis Martin scene, and a marble top. — fig 3. A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

Rather than treating each drawer separately, the maker conceived the façade as a single decorative composition. The scene continues across the two drawers and is enclosed within an elaborate cartouche of scrolling gilt-bronze foliage, creating the appearance of a framed painting integrated directly into the furniture.

fig 4. A French Louis XV revival bombee commode in kingwood with gilt-bronze mounts, a central hand-painted Vernis Martin scene, and a marble top. — fig 4. A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

Further gilt-bronze mounts extend across the kingwood ground, with richly modelled foliate ornament to the corners, drawer surrounds and shaped lower apron. The curving side panels are similarly enriched, demonstrating that the decorative scheme was intended to be appreciated from several viewpoints.

fig 5. A French Louis XV revival bombee commode in kingwood with gilt-bronze mounts, a central hand-painted Vernis Martin scene, and a marble top. — fig 5. A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

The cabinet stands on four slender cabriole supports, the front legs terminating in scrolling gilt-bronze sabots. Above, the shaped marble top follows the serpentine outline of the carcass and provides a substantial architectural finish to the piece.

fig 6. A French Louis XV revival bombee commode in kingwood with gilt-bronze mounts, a central hand-painted Vernis Martin scene, and a marble top. — fig 6. A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

Vernis Martin Decoration

The painted decoration belongs to the nineteenth-century revival of Vernis Martin, a decorative tradition closely associated with luxurious eighteenth-century French furniture and revived by leading Parisian cabinetmakers during the nineteenth century.

fig 7. A French Louis XV revival bombee commode in kingwood with gilt-bronze mounts, a central hand-painted Vernis Martin scene, and a marble top. — fig 7. A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

Scenes of fashionable figures, pastoral landscapes and romantic gatherings were particularly well suited to the highly decorative Louis XV Revival furniture made for wealthy European and international interiors during the Belle Époque.

fig 8. A French Louis XV revival bombee commode in kingwood with gilt-bronze mounts, a central hand-painted Vernis Martin scene, and a marble top. — fig 8. A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

Workshop Number

The reverse of the commode bears a stencilled “489”. The significance of this number has not presently been established and it may represent a workshop, stock, assembly or inventory reference.

fig 9. A French Louis XV revival bombee commode in kingwood with gilt-bronze mounts, a central hand-painted Vernis Martin scene, and a marble top. — fig 9. A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

No definitive maker's stamp has been located, and the commode is therefore catalogued conservatively as a high-quality French work of the last quarter of the nineteenth century rather than attributed to a specific Parisian workshop.

fig 10. A French Louis XV revival bombee commode in kingwood with gilt-bronze mounts, a central hand-painted Vernis Martin scene, and a marble top. — fig 10. A Fine French Louis Xv Revival Kingwood, Gilt-bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, Circa 1880-

Collector's Note

This is an especially attractive example of late nineteenth-century French Louis XV Revival furniture, combining the rich colour and movement of kingwood, the sculptural quality of extensive gilt-bronze ornament and the decorative appeal of a large painted Vernis Martin composition.

Its generous proportions, uninterrupted painted façade and unusually extensive mounting give the commode considerably greater presence than many standard examples of the period, making it an excellent statement piece for both traditional and contemporary interiors.