Transitional chest of drawers by Jacques Bircklé... Lot 105

Transitional chest of drawers by Jacques Bircklé (1734-1803) French cabinetmaker, Maîtrise obtained July 30, 1764. Beautiful chest of drawers in veneered wood marquetry with geometrical Greek fillet framing. It opens into two rows of drawers without crosspieces. The lower row features a scalloped apron. The uprights are rounded and protruding. It stands on four high curved legs. Gilt bronze and chased ormolu pull handles, drop fittings and wrap-around sabots. Royal Belgian red marble top. Parisian work, stamped Jacques Bircklé 18th century Restoration due to use and maintenance. Dimensions: H: 85; W: 94; D: 49.5 cm Jacques Bircklé (1734-1803) Furniture supplier under Louis XVI. Jacques Bircklé practiced his profession on rue de Charenton and then rue Saint-Nicolas. Between 1785 and 1789, he was commissioned by Marie-Antoinette at the Château de Saint-Cloud, Madame Elizabeth in Montreuil, the Duc d'Orléans and the Princesse de Lamballe. Bircklé's production is dense, varied, of high quality and easily adapted to the evolution of styles. He is a conscientious cabinetmaker, who does not seek luxury or preciousness, but rather decorative effect. Bircklé excels in this field thanks to his talent as a marker. In the majority of his furniture, virtually devoid of bronzes, marquetry predominates, in vivid, contrasting tones, designed with simplicity and without superfluous detail. Made of light-colored wood, they usually stand out against a background of dark veneer. Their effect is further enhanced by the choice of themes, such as flower vases, urns, draperies, ribbons, music trophies, various attributes and even landscapes of antique-style scenes, framed with Greek-style fillets.