An important gilt-bronze-mounted tulipwood, harewood, holly, fruitwood and marquetry commode by Roger Vandercruse, known as Lacroix (1727-99) Louis XV/XVI Transitional, circa 1770

of gentle breakfront form with a later moulded Spanish brocatello marble top above three frieze drawers mounted with a band of guilloche enclosing flowerheads above two long drawers, the central panel with a wicker basket of flowers on a plinth flanked by panels of floral sprays, the sides similarly inlaid within gilt-bronze foliate cast panels with concave corners applied with a patera, the angles with berried laurel swag mounts, the apron with the mask of Mercury surmounted by drapery and serpents and books on a plinth on cabriole legs cast with acanthus terminating in paw feet, the underside of the top stamped twice R.V.L.C. JME

Galerie Kraemer, Paris, 1982.

In overall very good conserved condition.The colour overall is less orange with more contrast and the gilding is more golden and attractive than in the catalogue photograph.There are some very minor chips and one medium sized chip to the marble top especially along the rear edge and the marble top has been restored but this has been very well executed and is not noticeable due to the mottling of the marble. Top left frieze drawer handle is temporarily secured with wire at present and will need to have a new thread and screw and be resoldered but this can easily be restored.The side panels have been strengthened internally due to two vertical hairline cracks in both side panels together with another smaller one in the right side panel which show evidence of previous restoration with some red stain below the guilloche mount as visible on p. 67. There are some very miniscule restorations to the veneer which are hardly noticeable. The quality of the gilt- bronze mounts and detail to the marquetry is very good. This piece can be placed immediately. Highly recommended.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature:
André Boutemy, Meubles Français Anonymes du XVIIIe siècle, Brussels, 1973, pp. 134-137.
Yannick Chastang, Louis Tessier’s Livre de Principes de Fleurs and the eighteenth-century marqueteur, Furniture History, Vol. XLIII (2007), pp.115-126.
Pierre Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1989, pp. 754-755, figs. A, B, D.
Sylvie Legrand-Rossi, Le Mobilier du Musée Nissim de Camondo, Dijon, 2012, pp. 62-64.
Isabelle Néto, Catalogue des Collections, Musée Cognacq-Jay, Le Mobilier, Paris, 2001, pp. 34-35, no. 5 (Inv. J 394).
Alexandre Pradère, Les Ebénistes Français de Louis XIV à la Revolution, Paris, 1989, pp. 280, fig. 301, p. 284, figs 304 and 305.
Franco Maria Ricci, Quelques chefs-d’oeuvre de La Collection Djahanguir Riahi, Ameublement français du XVIIIe siècle, Milan, 1999, pp. 224-225.
Clarisse Roinet, Roger Vandercruse dit La Croix, 1727-1799, Paris, 2000, pp. 70-73.
Pierre Verlet, Le Mobilier Royal Français, Vol. IV, Picard, 1990, pp. 66-67.

This magnificent commode by Roger Vandercruse, of restrained outline, is in the characteristic Transitional style and skilfully inlaid with naturalistic floral sprays and richly ornamented with gilt-bronze mounts. It is part of a group of commodes of the same form with three short frieze drawers and two long drawers with the design contained within three panels either decorated with vases of flowers or `coeurs et losanges entrelacé’ parquetry within gilt-bronze frames with rosettes at the corners and a frieze of guilloche, some of which are recorded as having been made by R.V.L.C. and delivered by Joubert ébéniste du roi (1763-1764) in the early 1770's for le Garde Meuble de la Couronne. The mask of Mercury is typical of R.V.L.C.’s production and found on numerous pieces by him.

Although the depiction of flowers, bouquets and baskets often differ on these commodes, the very naturalistic representations of flowers possible derive from engravings by Jean-Jacques-Avril (1744-1831), after the designs of Louis Tessier (c. 1715-1781),`peintre du Roy pour les fleurs’. The first of these Receuils was entitled Livre de Corbeilles et de vases de Fleurs, gravés par Avril, dessinés d’après nature par L. Tessier, Peintre du Roi’. 

The offered commode is very similar to one (of a pair) which was made by Joubert and Roger Vandercruse, otherwise known as Lacroix, for le Grand Cabinet of Madame la Comtesse de Provence at Compiègne, illustrated by Verlet, op. cit., pp. 66-67. The form and sumptuous gilt-bronze mounts are identical to those on this commode apart from the floral decoration which on the illustrated commode are ribbon-tied sprays in bois de bout floral marquetry. The Compiègne pair of commodes were delivered on 25th June 1771 by Joubert for the total sum of 5700 l.

The aforementioned commode is similar to one executed in 1769 for the bedroom of Madame Victoire at Compiègne delivered by Joubert and stamped R.V.L.C. which then was in the le Cabinet à la Poudre of Louis XVI. 

It is also worthwhile considering a related commode`aux enfants marins’ stamped by R.V.L.C. which was delivered by Joubert on 30th September 1771 for le Cabinet de retraite of la comtesse de Provence at Fontainbleau, the sister-in-law of the future Louis XVI, illustrated by Roinet, op. cit., p. 72, reproduced here in fig. 1. It has similar decoration to that on the offered commode with a wicker basket of flowers on a plinth in the central panel, flanking floral sprays with elaborate cupid corner mounts and Mercury mask apron mount. It was painted with the inventory number 2636 and the marble and carcass are stencilled with an inventory mark for Fontainebleau, no. 707, and the top of the carcass had an inventory number 51. It was later moved to the apartments of the Duc de Coigny (1737-1821), Marshal of France and then was owned by the Vicomtesse Vigier in Paris. It was subsequently sold from the Collection of Roberto Polo, Sotheby’s, New York, 3^rd November 1989, lot 103, and later on was in the Riahi Collection  (the sold again in Magnificent French Furniture, Christie's, New York, 2^nd November 2000, lot 50 for ($1,491,000).  

Another very similar example stamped R.V.L.C. in terms of the mounts, although with some variation in the drawer frames and apron mount, with very similar marquetry is in the Musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris, reproduced here in fig. 2.

A further example is the one attributed to RVLC supplied by Joubert in 1773 (delivery no. 2718) for the bedroom of the Comtesse d'Artois at Versailles  (Duke of Roxburgh's collection, Floors Castle, Kelso, Scotland) illustrated by Pradère, op. cit., p. 284, fig. 304.

Also see a commode stamped R.V.L.C. and J.-F. Leleu in the Musée Nissim Camondo, Paris, with identical mounts but trellis and flowerhead parquetry known as`coeurs et losanges entrelacé’, illustrated by Legrand-Rossi, op. cit., p. 63 (Inv. CAM 339).

Finally, there is also a related commode stamped by RVLC in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Inv. 376: 1,2-1901), with identical mounts, basket of flowers on a plinth in the central panel flanked by panels of trellis parquetry.

Similar commodes stamped by R.V.L.C. sold at auction include:

-a commode with identical mounts and floral sprays and vase of flowers on a plinth, sold Sotheby’s, Monaco, 25^th and 26th June 1979, from the Collection Akram Ojjeh, lot 75 (950,000FF), reproduced here in fig. 3.
-a commode with identical mounts but lozenge parquetry, sold Sotheby’s, Monaco, 25^th-26^th June 1983, lot 298.
-a commode with identical mounts but lozenge parquetry, sold Tajan, Paris, 19^th November 2014, lot 287. 

Roger Vandercruse known as Lacroix (1727-1799):

His father was from Flanders with the family name Vandercruse and he is known by his initials R.V.L.C., which he sometimes stamped on his furniture and was a spectacularly successful ébéniste. He  was born in 1727, the son of an independent artisan-ébéniste and received his maîtrise in 1749. A sister was also married to Oeben and after the latter’s death to his successor Riesener. Between 1769 and 1774, he supplied furniture to the Garde-Meuble Royal through Joubert which bore the stamp of R.V.L.C. as Joubert frequently subcontracted his commissions to him. He was an exceedingly skilfull marqueteur and in addition to his work for the Crown, he also worked for private clients the duc d’Orléans, and Madame du Barry.