Tag: Edward Holmes Baldock

This lavish English replica of the great Louis XIV cabinetmaker’s iconic chest of drawers attests to the Victorian “Boulle revival”.Sarcophagus chest of drawers signed “Blake London”, Louis XIV style after the model by André-Charles Boulle, c.1850, brass and brown tortoiseshell marquetry, chased and gilded bronze ornamentation, Campan marble top, 88 x 121 x 61 cm/34.64 x 47.64 x 24.01 in. Estimate: €20,000/30,000The spectacular chest of drawers, one of the most iconic pieces in France’s national furniture collections, is recognizable at first glance. It is a copy of one of a pair that André-Charles Boulle made in 1708 for Louis XIV’s bedchamber at the Grand Trianon, today on display at the Chateau of Versailles. Everything about the two masterpieces is opulent, from the astonishing structure—four curved, claw-footed legs and four in the shape of a corkscrew—to the materials: brass and tortoise-shell marquetry and ornately chased and gilded bronze. However, our piece, which comes from an hôtel particulier, is actually a faithful copy made c.1850: a winged sphinx bears the signature “Blake London”.This rare work illustrates the incredible popularity across the Channel for Boulle furniture, often spelled “Buhl” in English. The craze began during the French Revolution and intensified after the fall of the First Empire. Buyers working on behalf of wealthy Englishmen scoured Paris for treasures. One of them was the chevalier Bonnemaison, who found Boulle furniture for Stratfield Saye House, the Duke of Wellington’s Hampshire residence. Furniture dealer and connoisseur Edward Holmes Baldock apparently assisted Bonnemaison in his search. London cabinetmakers like the famous Blake family made what would soon be known as “Boulle revival” furniture in order to meet demand. In 1826, Robert Blake, the dynasty’s founder, was listed as a “cabinet inlayer and buhl manufacturer” at 8 Stephen Street, London. Later, his sons George, Charles, James and Henry joined the business and their workshop