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an image of a desk with two drawers and two stoolsan image of a sideboard made of wood and metalan image of a very nice looking desk with a lot of drawersan image of a small table with flowers on ita small table with a vase on top of itan image of a black and gold painted chest of drawers
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38 - Aubertin Gaudron (?–1684) A Mazarin desk decorated with flor…
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Estimate €20,000 - €30,000
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Description
Aubertin Gaudron (?–1684) A Mazarin desk decorated with floral marquetry in boxwood, yew, holly, sycamore, tulip tree, amaranth and walnut, set against an ebony background. The top, framed by a moulded moulding, features three vases filled with large bouquets, the central one resting on an entablature adorned with a lambrequin and the two side vases supported by feathered masks. These are set within a substantial border comprising volutes and foliage scrolls of acanthus leaves, enlivened by sphinxes, figures, birds and butterflies. The sides are decorated in a similar manner. The front features two side cabinets, each with three drawers stacked one above the other and a central drawer, with walnut inlays decorated with clasps, acanthus leaves, and flowering and leafy stems. The central section opens via a door panel embellished with a vase of flowers on a plinth adorned with a shell, flanked by figures and birds. The upright posts rest on eight sheathed legs joined by two H-shaped struts, connected by a crossbar. The whole is embellished with cascading garlands, flowering stems, acanthus leaves and foliage. Gilded bronze fittings: lock case, lock plates with mascarons, capitals and bases. Paris. Louis XIV period. Circa 1675–1680 H_ 80 cm W_ 11 cm D_ 64 cm Restorations consistent with the period. Locksmith’s work on the rear section Aubertin Gaudron, a contemporary of André-Charles Boulle and creator of similar marquetry pieces, Aubertin Gaudron, a master joiner and cabinetmaker active from around 1641, was intrinsically linked to Boulle in the field of marquetry furniture. Both drew inspiration from rich Dutch floral motifs. Designed in the ‘antique’ style of Louis XIV, the marquetry panels on this Mazarin desk draw inspiration from the work of Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer (died 1699) and are closely linked to the engravings published by Gabriel Androuet Du Cerceau, who was appointed draughtsman to Louis XIV around 1690 (now held at the National Museum in Stockholm (P. Fuhring, ‘Late Seventeenth and Early 18th Century Furniture Designs for Upholstered Furniture’, Furniture History Society Journal, Leeds, 1989, pp. 42–60). The same decorative motifs—featuring patterned woodwork in various colours against an ornate ebony background, with a vase filled with flowers in the centre resting on a side table, grotesque masks below, and the remainder filled with foliage, flowers, birds and butterflies depicted from life—can be found here. Gaudron was extensively commissioned by the King, the Dauphin and the Dauphine, and most likely by Philippe, Duke of Orléans, brother of Louis XIV, whilst also being a frequent visitor to the Court. A number of writing desks of this form, characterised by their distinctive marquetry decoration, are mentioned in inventories from the late 17th and 18th centuries. The first – ‘A writing desk with natural-flower marquetry, covered in black velvet with a paper clip and the base, all featuring natural flowers, the base and desk fitted with several drawers, 120 livres’ was recorded in 1721 at the residence of Minister Desmaretz de Maillebois, a minister under Louis XIV. The second, ‘a large antique desk made of mixed woods with several drawers, resting on eight legs and crossbars of the same wood, weighing 12 livres’, is listed in the 1761 inventory of the estate of Marshal de Belle Isle, grandson of Superintendent Fouquet. In addition to the Balfour desk and the Stockholm desk, other related desks of this distinctive type are recorded: - one was sold anonymously at Christie’s London on 25 June 1988, lot 108; another was sold anonymously at Sotheby’s Monaco on 4 March 1989, lot 274; and a final example was exhibited in *Louis XIV: Splendour and Decoration*, Paris, 1960, Exhibition Catalogue, p. xxxi, formerly in the collection of Jacques Helft Fruitwood marquetry In vogue from around 1660, fruitwood marquetry, influenced by Flemish artists and the work of the painter Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer, gradually became the most important decorative style used on furniture during the 17th century. The pioneers of this pictorial art were André-Charles Boulle, Aubertin and Renaud Gaudron, Pierre Golle and Léonard van der Vinne in Florence. Aubertin Gaudron used fruitwood marquetry for most of his career. Comparative works: Mazarin desk *Christie’s Paris auction. 22 November 2025. Lot 24 *De Baeque & Associés auction. Marseille. 26 October 2022. Lot 82 *Christie’s London auction. 13 June 2002. Lot 120 Mazarin Comparable works (chest of drawers) *Christie’s Paris auction. 22 November 2025. Lot 26 *Christie’s London auction. 16 November 2021. Lot 575 *Christie’s London auction. 14–15 December 2005 THE WILDENSTEIN COLLECTION Lot 115 *Bonhams London auction. 21 November 2023. Cornelis Paulus van Pauwvliet Collection. Lot 90 Comparative bibliography: *C. Demestrecu, Les ébénistes de la Couronne sous le règne de Louis XIV, Paris, 2021, pp. 178–183 and 288–295. - Expert: PEPE Stephane
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About the sale Classical Art #13
Auction location
Auction time 07/18/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits:
MAISON LANDRE
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