ticketsMember | Make a donation

Commode

ca. 1786
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 540
A set of three commodes, one larger one, and a pair of smaller, matching ones, were commissioned from Riesener in 1786 for the use of Marie Joséphine of Savoy, Comtesse de Provence at Montreuil. The description and dimensions given in Riesener’s mémoire or bill are very similar to this commode which would have been one of the two smaller pieces. Especially, the use of the concave frieze and the design of the gilt-bronze mounts make it very likely that this commode was one of the three supplied to the Comtesse de Provence. However, since no special stamp was used for the Garde Meuble of the Comtesse de Provence, this commode can only be linked to her on the basis of the description.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Commode
  • Maker: Jean Henri Riesener (French, Gladbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia 1734–1806 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1786
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Oak, veneered with mahogany, gilt-bronze mounts, marble top
  • Dimensions: 34 x 36 1/2 x 17 3/4 in. (86.4 x 92.7 x 45.1 cm)
  • Classification: Woodwork-Furniture
  • Credit Line: The Jack and Belle Linsky Collection, 1982
  • Object Number: 1982.60.51
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Mechanical table (Table mécanique), Jean Henri Riesener French, Oak veneered with marquetry of bois satiné, holly, amaranth, barberry, stained sycamore, and green-lacquered wood; gilt-bronze mounts; steel, iron and brass fittings; mirror glass; velvet (not original), French, Paris
Mechanical table (Table mécanique)
Jean Henri Riesener
Jean-Gotfritt Mercklein
1778
Side table (commode servante or commode desserte), Jean Henri Riesener French, Oak, pine, mahogany, and mahogany veneer; gilt-bronze mounts; Carrara marble top and shelf, French, Paris
Side table (commode servante or commode desserte)
Jean Henri Riesener
ca. 1790
Drop-front secretary (Secrétaire en armoire), Jean Henri Riesener French, Oak veneered with ebony and 17th-century Japanese lacquer; interiors veneered with tulipwood, amaranth, holly, and ebonized holly; gilt-bronze mounts; marble top; velvet (not original), French, Paris
Drop-front secretary (Secrétaire en armoire)
Jean Henri Riesener
1783
Mechanical table, Jean Henri Riesener French, Oak veneered with mahogany and marquetry of bois satiné, sycamore, holly, ebonized holly fillets, and bayberry, the top with an amaranth border; gilt-bronze mounts; mirror glass; iron and brass fittings; green velvet (not original), French, Paris
Mechanical table
Multiple artists/makers
1781
Commode (Secrétaire à abattant), Jean Henri Riesener French, Oak veneered with ebony and 17th-century Japanese lacquer; interiors veneered with tulipwood, amaranth, holly, and ebonized holly; gilt-bronze mounts; marble top; velvet (not original), French, Paris
Commode (Secrétaire à abattant)
Jean Henri Riesener
1783

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.