Paintings in Wood: French Marquetry Furniture

by Yannick Chastang

Overview

Marquetry – creating patterns and pictures through inlaid veneers – has long been recognized as one of the most attractive and sophisticated methods of decorating fine furniture; indeed the visually arresting marquetry compositions of eighteenth-century Paris were described by one contemporary as no less than 'paintings in wood.'

Illuminating the marvelous world of beauty conjured up by superlative French craftsmen including André-Charles Boulle, Jean-François Oeben and Jean-Henri Riesener, this book also reveals the technical secrets of this special art form, its sources and history. Richly illustrated with masterpieces from the Wallace Collection in London and other collections it also examines the extraordinary color contrasts which would have been seen when the marquetry was first produced.

Yannick Chastang is a conservator in the Wallace Collection, with particular responsibility for furniture conservation. He has worked on the conservation of a number of masterpieces of eighteenth-century French furniture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780900785917
Publisher:	Holberton, Paul Publishing
Publication date:	01/06/2012
Series:	Wallace Collection Series
Pages:	118
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgements	7
	Preface	8
	Introduction	11
Chapter 1	Marquetry Techniques	14
Chapter 2	Materials Used in Marquetry	26
Chapter 3	The Boulle Family and the Beginnings of Cabinet-Making in France	42
Chapter 4	The 1740s and the Revival of Marquetry	54
Chapter 5	Jean-Francois Oeben and the High Point of French Marquetry	58
Chapter 6	Riesener, Leleu and the Legacy of Oeben	70
Chapter 7	Decline and Revival: The Story from the 1780s	84
Chapter 8	Sources of Marquetry Decoration	92
Chapter 9	Colours in Marquetry	108
	Further Reading	116
	Other Collections	118