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Commode

ca. 1918
Not on view
Both the form (by Süe and Mare) and the decoration (designed by Vera and probably applied by a specialized craftsman using a stencil) of this commode, especially its lavish gilding, recall the grandeur of the Louis XV period. The subject of its decoration is the Judgment of Paris, a story from Greek mythology. The shepherd Paris was forced to decide which goddess was the most beautiful: Juno, Minerva, or Venus. He is shown awarding the golden apple to Venus, who, as a bribe, promised him the love of any woman in the world; in choosing Helen of Troy, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta, Paris began the Trojan War.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Commode
  • Designer: Louis Süe (French, Bordeaux 1875–1968 Paris)
  • Designer: André Mare (French, Argentan 1887–1932 Paris)
  • Designer: Paul Vera (French, Paris 1882–1958 St-Germain-en-Laye)
  • Manufacturer: Compagnie des Arts Français
  • Date: ca. 1918
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Oak, lumber-core plywood, chestnut, marble, paint, gold leaf
  • Dimensions: 35 3/8 × 49 1/2 × 22 1/2 in. (89.9 × 125.7 × 57.2 cm)
  • Classification: Furniture
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Edward C. Moore Jr. Gift, 1923
  • Object Number: 23.175.1a, b
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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