MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 310? the?back?of?the?Riesener?Secr?taire???abattant?(F300?in?the?Wallace).??All?pictures?show?how? the?different?pieces?were?constructed.???There?are?pictures?from?other?pieces?and?exceptions? are?noted?below?the?relevant?picture.? ? There?are?a?few?noteworthy?differences?between?Chippendale?and?Riesener?as?to?how?they? approached?the?construction?of?the?back?and?the?internal?constructions.??The?back?of?the? Riesener?secr?taire???abattant?was?a?series?of?panels?and?dividers?that?slid?up?from?the? bottom?to?cover?the?internal?construction.??These?panels?and?dividers?were?probably?only? screwed?in?or?nailed?in?at?the?bottom?(see?Figure?5?74).??Note?that?the?grain?of?the?four? individual?panels?runs?up?and?down,?parallel?to?the?sides?of?the?secr?taire???abattant???as?do? the?dividers?which?also?run?in?that?direction.??However?the?grain?of?the?dividers?going? perpendicular?to?the?sides?are?also?perpendicular?to?the?sides.???A?note?by?P.?Hughes,?in?The? Wallace?Collection?Catalogue,?states?that:?? ? ?As?on?F300,?the?back?of?F302?slides?downwards?when?two?screws?are?removed?from? the?bottom?cross?brace;?the?interior?fitment?of?the?upper?section?can?then?be? removed?through?the?back?of?the?secr?taire.?208?? ? Shown?above?are?two?pictures?of?two?different?Riesener?secr?taire???abattant?showing?the? back?panels?and?how?they?are?removed?to?allow?access?to?the?internal?construction?of?each? piece.209?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The?back?of?the?Chippendale?piece,?on?the?other?hand,?was?a?single?piece?made?up?of? different?oak?boards?glued?together?(see?Figure?5?75).??In?this?case,?there?were?no?rails?or? separate?panels,?instead?they?were?glued?together?side?to?side,?similar?to?the?way?one?would? construct?a?table?or?cabinet?top.???It?was?impossible?to?see?the?actual?joints?between?the? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 208?P.?Hughes,?The?Wallace?Collection?Catalogue?of?Furniture,?Vol?II.,Trustees?of?the?Wallace?Collection,?London,? 1996,?p.1005.? 209?It?was?noted?that?this?feature?of?the?Riesener?secr?taire???abattant?probably?saved?many?of?them?from? destruction.??Immediately?after?the?revolution?in?France,?participants?were?looking?for?evidence?for?use?in?trials? and?for?money?hidden?inside.??When?they?discovered?that?it?was?easy?to?turn?these?pieces?on?their?face?and?to? remove?the?backs.??This?allowed?full?access?to?the?insides?of?these?pieces?of?furniture,?even?to?the?hidden? compartments.?If?this?easy?access?was?not?available,?it?is?very?likely?that?they?would?have?probably?broken?into? their?fronts?and?therefore?probably?destroying?much?of?the?artistry.? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 311? different?boards???possibly?they?were?simply?glued?together,?or?held?using?dowels?or?a? variation?of?tongue?and?grove.?This?construction?was?then?set?in?a?rebate?that?ran?around?all? four?edges?of?the?back?with?the?boards?screwed?to?the?back.??The?face?of?this?back?panel?was? left?unfinished,?while?the?inside?was?covered?with?a?clear?coating?of?some?kind?to?form?an? acceptable?finish?to?the?inside?of?the?secr?taire?(see?Figure?5?75).??? ? Looking?at?the?internal?structures?of?the?secr?taire???abattants?by?Chippendale?and? Riesener,?we?can?see?how?they?differ.??Starting?from?the?top,?the?Chippendale?piece?has?a? decorative??crown?,?while?Riesener?provided?a?marble?surface?upon?which?to?display? decorative?items.??? ? ? ? ? ? Figure?5?74:?On?the?left?is?a?picture?of?the?back?of?The?Waddesdon?Manor?secr?taire??? abattant?showing?the?rail?panel?construction?of?the?back.??By?studying?the?bottom?of? the?picture?carefully?one?can?see?the?screws?that?are?keeping?the?back?from?sliding? down.??The?right?hand?side?is?a?picture?of?a?Wallace?Collection?secr?taire???abattant? with?the?back?partially?slid?down.??? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 312? The?approach?of?each?maker?to?the?top?drawer?is?very?similar;?the?top?of?the?frame?is?the?top? ? Figure?5?75:?Above?is?the?inside?of?the?lower?section?of?the?Harewood?secr?taire,?showing?the?oak?back,?which?was?formed? by?the?attachment?of?the?boards?to?the?back.??The?back?view?of?the?secr?taire?is?shown?on?the?right.??These?two?sections,? on?board?for?the?crown?and?a?series?of?boards,?glued?together?for?the?lower?sections,?was?inserted?into?a?rebate,?then? attached?with?screws?around?the?edge.?Note?the?grain?runs?across?the?back.?? ? Also?note?that?there?are?no?drawer?guides?in?this?particular?instance,?this?is?a?different?approach?than?that?used?by? Riesener.??As?demonstrated?earlier?Riesener?frequently?used?thick?veneers?of?Rosewood?in?these?situations.??? Oak?backing?board?visible? from?the?inside?of?the? lower?section?of? secr?taire.?? Oak?backing?board?as?seen? from?the?outside?(back)?of? the?secretary.?Seen?here?are? the?sections?for?the?crown? and?the?top?of?the?lower? section.? Screw?to?hold? lower?section?in? rebate.?? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 313? of?the?drawer?cavity?and?the?top?of?the?lower?structural?component?provides?the?bottom.??In? both?cases,?a?board?is?laid?down,?running?from?front?to?back,?to?guide?the?drawer?s? movement?between?the?side?panels.?? ? However?there?was?a?major?difference?between?the?two?in?their?approach?to?the? construction?of?the?remaining?interior.??Chippendale?viewed?the?main?part?of?the?internal? construction?as?one?continuous?piece,?which?was?then?sub?divided?into?sections.??Riesener,? on?the?other?hand,?appears?to?have?conceived?the?secr?taire???abattant?in?two?separate? elements.??Notice?how?on?the?Chippendale?piece?there?is?a?continuous?piece?of?wood?that? runs?from?top?(below?the?drawer)?to?bottom?(above?the?feet)?spanning?the?entire?central? section.??On?the?Riesener?piece,?however,?the?top?section?(which?corresponds?to?the?fall? front)?can?be?completely?separated?from?the?bottom?half???see?Figures?5?76?and?5?77.? ? In?addition?to?these?major?structural?differences,?some?minor?differences?also?exist.??For? instance,?to?attach?the?sides?of?the?internal?components?to?the?top,?Chippendale?used? dovetails,?whereas?Riesener?used?a?simple?rebate.??In?other?areas?(for?example?to?provide? shelves?for?the?drawers?to?slide?on?and?to?hold?the?dividers?for?the?pigeon?holes)?both? furniture?makers?used?rebates.?Riesener?also?used?tenons?across?wall?of?the?Fall?Front?(see? Figure?5?77.??? ? The?Riesener?secr?taire?appears?to?have?a?wider?space?between?the?internal?structure?and? the?outer,?decorative?shell.??This?could?be?a?function?of?two?variables;?the?angle?and?depth?of? the?chamfer?(however?both?appear?to?be?similar)?or?the?thickness?of?the?outer?wall?(the? Chippendale?piece?has?a?much?thicker?wall?since?it?is?essentially?two?boards?with?the?outer? board?being?the?Japanned?panel).?The?middle?of?the?internal?frame?is?connected?to?the?outer? wall?though?a?couple?of?wooden?blocks?in?the?Chippendale?secr?taire???abattant?but?boards? that?run?toward?the?centre?are?used?in?Riesener?s?example.?? ? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 314? Figure?5?76.??To?the?right?is? the?back?of?the?Chippendale? Secr?taire.?(This?picture?was? scanned?from?image?in? Harewood?House?files?on? veneered?Secr?taire?however? this?picture?is?of?the?Japanned? Secr?taire?that?was?made?in? the?same?manner?as?the? veneered?Secr?taire??it?is? assumed?that?since?the?size? and?shape?of?the?two?pieces? are?the?same?that?the?internal? construction?is?the?same.)??? ? On?both?the?Chippendale?and? the?Riesener?piece?the?grain? in?the?side?boards?run?from? top?to?bottom,?while?the?grain? on?the?boards?that?run? perpendicular?to?the?sides?are? also?perpendicular?to?the? sides.? ? The?pictures?below?and?on? the?right?and?on?the?next? page?are?the?back?of?the? Riesener?Secr?taire?are?of?the? Secr?taire???abattant?number? F300?in?The?Wallace? Collection.???? ? Boards?running?across?the?piece?breaking? the?top?half?from?the?bottom?portion.? Rebate? Removable?panels???removed?by?laying?the? piece?on?its?face?then?sliding?panels?down? toward?the?bottom.? ? ? Top?Drawer?Section? Fall?Front? Section? Lower?Storage? Section? Single?board?running?from?top?to?bottom?of? secr?taire.? Dove?Tails? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 315? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Top?Drawer?Section? Fall?Front?Section? Lower?Storage?Section? Secret?Drawer?and? storage? Safe? Figure?5?77:??Back?of?F300?with?the?back?removed?exposing?key?sections.? identified.? Tenons? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 316? H. Exceptions?? ? In?this?section,?there?were?several?pieces?of?furniture?that?did?not?fit?the?standard?forms.?? There?are?a?number?of?possibilities?for?the?different?approaches?that?were?taken?with?these? pieces,?which?will?be?discussed?in?greater?detail?throughout?this?section.???The?possible? causes?for?these?differences?include?a?change?in?style?for?the?cabinetmaker,?the?use?of?a? subcontractor,?or,?at?the?other?extreme?it?was?made?by?someone?trying?to?replicate?the? work?style?of?either?Chippendale?or?Riesener.??? ? There?was?one?piece?among?the?Chippendale?furniture?and?two?among?the?Riesener? selection?that?displayed?unusual?characteristics?that?set?them?apart?from?the?others?that? were?examined.?210? ? Obviously,?the?first?question?that?this?raises?is?whether?these?pieces?were?actually?produced? by?the?workshops?that?have?been?attributed???The?answer?must?be?a?disappointing,??we?do? not?know??but?these?exceptions?do?provide?interesting?comparisons.???As?discussed?before,? when?we?say?that?a?piece?of?furniture?was??made?by??a?certain?maker,?what?we?really?mean?is? that?they?were?made?by?someone?in?their?workshop???not?by?their?own?hand.?It?is?safe?to? assume?that?there?were?certain?standards?and?procedures?that?each?workshop?employed? but?we?also?know?is?that?both?Chippendale?and?Riesener?had?a?number?of?employees? reporting?to?them,?each?potentially?different.??We?also?know?that?at?different?times?in?their? careers?both?Chippendale?and?Riesener?were?under?a?great?deal?of?pressure?to?reduce?prices? and?to?produce?furniture?faster?than?they?wanted.?211??Both?were?known?to?have? subcontracted?work?out?to?other?cabinetmakers?to?meet?these?problems,?although?another? possibility?is?that?these?workshops?occasionally?tried?new?approaches?to?handle?specific? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 210?The?two?Chippendale?pieces?were?not?part?of?the?group?of?Library?Tables?that?were?included?in?most?of?this? thesis,?but?they?were?two?dressing?tables.??While?one?of?these?was?a?dressing?table?that?was?very?similar?to? many?of?the?Chippendale?designs?for?library?tables?the?other?was?not?similar?at?all.??However,?both?provide? some?very?good?illustrations?concerning?how?pieces?that?were?made?by?Chippendale?s?workshops?can?be? identified.?? 211?For?Chippendale?this?came?in?the?form?of?clients?arguing?about?the?price?or?quality.??This?was,?as?discussed? before,?evident?between?Chippendale?and?the?Harewood?household,?the?Gerrick?household?and?others.??With? Reisener,?the?differences?were?between?Riesener?and?the?Garde?Mueble?who?entered?the?furniture?into?the? inventory?notes.?? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 317? problems???resulting?in? deviation?from?the?norm.??If? these?exceptional?pieces?were? made?by?someone?who?was? either?new?to?the?workshop?or? disposed?to?doing?things? differently?but?were?still? employed?by?either? Chippendale?or?Riesener,? perhaps?one?would?not?expect? to?see?quite?so?many? differences?as?can?be?seen?in? these?exceptional?pieces.?A?new? employee?for?example?would? probably?have?been?carefully? monitored?throughout?the? making?process???at?least?until? the?employee?was?familiar?with? the?workshop?standards.??Other? differences?are?inconsistent? with?the?idea?that?the?workshop? was?experimenting?or?simply?trying?to?overcome?some?particular?problem.??So?it?is?most? likely?that?these?pieces?were?either?outsourced?to?other?furniture?makers?or?were?made? someone?unrelated,?although?even?in?the?case?of?a?subcontracted?piece,?one?would?expect? some?greater?consistency?regarding?quality?and?construction.?? ? The?Riesener?example?that?has?occasioned?doubt?in?this?author?is?the?small?secr?taire??? abattant?that?is?currently?in?the?Mus?e?des?Arts?D?coratifs?in?Paris.?It?is?generally?of?a?good? quality?and?reasonably?consistent?with?Riesener?s?style????see?Figure?5?78????but?there?are? several?reasons?why?this?piece?stands?out:??? ? ?Figure?5?78:??Secr?taire???abattant?that?is?currently?located? at?Mus?e?des?Arts?D?coratifs?in?Paris?showing?the?marquetry? top?drawer,?simpler?ormolu,?levered?lower?door?section?and? unusual?marquetry?on?fall?front.??? ? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 318? ? The?use?of?marquetry?on?the?top?drawer?frieze.??In?virtually?all?other?secr?taires,? Riesener?used?ormolu?to?decorate?this?section?of?the?furniture.??Furthermore,?the? way?in?which?this?marquetry?piece?is?cut?out?differs?from?anything?that?was?seen?on? other?Riesener?pieces???it?was?completely?cut?out?of?one?piece?of?veneer.? Furthermore,?this? veneer?was?padouk,?an? unusual?choice?of? timber?for?Riesener??? see?Figure?5?79.????Not? only?has?this?author?not? seen?an?example?of?this? type?of?marquetry?on? any?other?piece?by? Riesener,?the?style?is? one?associated?with?the? Hache?family?of?furniture?makers,?operating?during?this?time?in?the?western?part?of? France.?212??Although?the?mask?featured?in?the?design?looks?very?similar?to?the?mask? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 212?Jean?Fran?ois?Hache?(1730?1796)?was?the?fourth?generation?of?cabinetmakers?from?Grenoble,?France;?the? family?business?started?with?a?No?l?Hache?(1630?1675),?who?set?a?workshop?in?Toulouse?and?handed?the? workshop?to?his?son,?Thomas?Hache.??He?then?moved?the?at?lier?to?Grenoble.?His?son,?Pierre,?and?his?grandson,? Jean?Fran?ois,?worked?with?him.???In?1756,?Jean?Fran?ois?Hache?went?to?Paris?to?study,?where?the?Louis?XV?style? and?Oeben?influenced?him.?He?gradually?took?over?the?family?workshop?and?around?1760?began?to?incorporate? ? Figure?5?80:?? Acanthus?leaf? from?the?Riesener? Secr?taire??? abattant?in? Mus?e?des?Arts? D?coratifs?in?Paris? on?the?upper?left? corner?(in?the?Top? Drawer?Section).? Note?the?lack?of? detail,?depth?and? shine?on?this? piece.? ? Figure?5?79:?Marquetry?design?on?top?of?the?Riesener?Secr?taire???abattant?in?Mus?e?des?Arts? D?coratifs?in?Paris.??This?figure?was?cut?in?one?piece?of?veneer.? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 319? of?Hercules?that?Riesener?used?on?many?of?his?pieces?in?ormolu,?this?version?of?the? face?has?a?type?of?vine?growing?out?of?the?centre?reminiscent?of?either?a??green?man?? or?Bacchus.??Either?choice?would?be?unusual?For?Riesener???though?the?latter?would? be?consistent?with?the?designs?inspired?by?ancient?mythologies?(See?Figure?5?79).??? ? ? The?simplicity?of?the?marquetry?design?on?the?top?section?on?the?abattant.??While?in? theme?this?design?is?similar?to?other?pieces,?in?its?execution?it?is?different.??One?would? think?that?if?one?were?executing?a?less?expensive?piece?of?furniture,?it?would?be? easier?to?take?an?old?design?and?apply?it?to?a?new?piece.?However,?it?should?be? pointed?out?that?the?quality?of?the?cutting?on?both?this?and?the?upper?drawer?section? are?of?a?very?high?quality,?so? for?all?its?exceptional?detail?this? piece?is?well?executed.?? ? ? In?general?the?ormolu?appears? to?be?simpler,?less?detailed?and? its?execution?is?not?of?the? standard?found?on?other? Riesener?pieces.??Though? further?research?would?be? needed?to?verify?it,?the?ormolu? used?on?this?piece?may?have? been?purchased?off?the?peg? and?not?custom?made?for?this? particular?piece.??As?can?be? seen?in?this?example,?there?are? no?highly?polished?highlights? on?this?ormolu?(Figure?5?80).?? ? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? more?simplified?forms?and?intricate?marquetry?into?his?designs.??They?were?known?for?their?use?of?one?piece?of? veneer?to?create?an?entire?design.? ? Figure?5?81:??Small?drawer?on?the?secr?taire??? abattant?from?Mus?e?des?Arts?D?coratifs?showing? the?longer?than?average?front?dovetails?and?the?use? of?only?veneer?on?the?front?of?the?drawer.?? ? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 320? ? The?use?of?the?levered?doors?on?the?bottom?section?of?the?secr?taire.??This?feature? does?not?appear?on?any?other?secr?taire???abattants?although?it?does?appear?on?one? of?his?commodes?and?on?a?smaller?secr?taire.??? ? ? The?overall?size?of?this?particular?piece.??This?secr?taire?is?smaller?than?all?other? pieces?that?were?included?in?this?selection.??Again,?if?one?were?to?produce?a?less? expensive?piece,?one?would?have?thought?that?Riesener?would?have?selected?a? design?that?he?had?used?before.??He?had?by?this?time?produced?a?number?of?simple? secr?taires?for?other?patrons?such?as?for?the?staff?of?Louis?XVI?and?Marie?Antoinette.? ?? ? The?length?of?the?front?dovetails?on?the?drawers?are?longer?than?on?other?pieces.213?? While?the?thickness?of?the?front?is?similar?to?that?of?other?Riesener?secr?taire??? abattants,?this?means?that?the?quantity?of?wood?in?front?of?the?dovetails?is?smaller??? see?Figure?5?81.?? ? Despite?these?differences?and?perceived?inconsistencies,?the?piece?was?well?executed?(very? tight?joints,?smooth?joins,?good?choice?of?timbers,?etc.)?The?statistical?qualities?are?generally? similar?to?other?Riesener?pieces?and?the?materials?are?of?the?quality?associated?with?other? Riesener?pieces.???While?many?of?the?design?elements?are?unusual?for?Riesener,?most?can?be? seen?in?other?pieces?(the?tambour?doors,?the?trapezoidal? panel,?the?poorer?quality?ormolu,?etc.)?and?the?stamp?of? Riesener?is?(reportedly)?to?be?found?on?the?frame.???? ? While?this?Paris?piece?was?different?in?some?aspects,?there?is? one?other?piece?presently?located?at?Versailles?that?is? believed?to?have?been?commissioned?by?the?royal?family? which?also?had?some?quality?issues?that?also?raised? questions?of?attribution?in?this?author.??Once?again?this?could? have?been?a?piece?designed?for?a?particular?situation?that? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 213?The?front?dovetails?on?the?small?drawer?are?approximately?15?mm?whereas?on?other?pieces?the?length?is?less? than?10?mm.?? ?Figure?5?82:??Ormolu?on???? Versailles?secr?taire???abattant? ??notice?the?lack?of?detail?and? highlights.?? ? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 321? required?a?particular?look?and?size?,?or?a?subcontracted?piece,?or?perhaps?an?example?of? Riesener?experimenting?with?a?new?style.??Setting?these?explanations?aside,?the? inconsistencies?that?raised?question?in?this?author?are?as?follows:?? ? ? The?ormolu,?like?that?of?the?piece?at?the?Mus?e?des?Arts?D?coratifs?in?Paris,?is?less? refined?than?most?other?Riesener?associated?pieces.??While?the?decorative?motifs? have?been?seen?on?other?Riesener?pieces,?they?are?not?common?(see?Figure?5?82?and? also?Appendix?C:?Maelrondt?and?the?Frick?Collection?Secr?taire???Abattant).? ? ? The?back?has?a?smooth?surface?made?up?of?two?panels?held?by?one?cross?beam,?fixed? with?screws.??It?does?not?slide?out?of?the?bottom?like?other?Riesener?pieces.?? ? ? There?are?locks?on?each?of?the?individual?small?drawers?behind?the?fall?front?which?is? unusual.?The?lock?on?the?two?lower?drawers?also?locks?both?the?lower?and?the?higher? drawer.?Now?while?there?are?a?number?of?cases?where?Riesener?uses?the?fall?front? lock?to?lock?a?lower?drawer,?there?is?no?example?(to?the?best?of?this?author?s? ? Figure?5?83:??Lower?Storage?doors?with?rebated?edges???not?the?typical? tongue?and?groove?usually?used.??Note?lines?reinforce?shape?of?door?edge.? ? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 322? knowledge)?where?a?lower?drawer?locks?the?upper?drawer.?? ? ? The?metals? used?differ? from?those? that?Riesener? used?on?other? pieces.??The? lower? doorplate,? and?the?lock? for?the?safe? both?appear? to?be?made?of? steel,?not?brass?or?bronze??? further?testing?would?verify?the? type?of?metal.? ? ? The?doors?on?the?lower?drawer? section?do?not?use?the?tongue? and?groove?device?to?hold? them?together?when?closed? but?make?use?of?a?double? rebate?as?can?be?seen?in?Figure? 5?83???most?unusual.?? ? ? The?drawer?construction?also? differs.??First?of?all?their?front? dovetails?are?much?wider?than? others?associated?with? Riesener.??Secondly,?the? ? ? Figure?5?84:??Drawer?from?behind?the?fall?front?of?the?secr?taire???abattant?from? Versailles.??On?the?left?is?the?edge?of?the?bottom?without?any?rebate?and?on?the? right?are?the?Front?dovetails.?? ? Additional?piece?of?wood?? Figure?5?85:??The?top?of?the?Versailles?secr?taire???abattant? showing?how?the?third?piece?is?inserted?to?join?the?two?sides.?? This?is?not?typical?of?how?Riesener?handled?this?join.?? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 323? bottom?piece?of?timber?does?not?have?a?rebate?cut?into?its?edge?(See?Figure?5?84).?? And?finally?the?wood?forming?the?sides?and?the?bottom?are?thinner?in?cross?section? than?those?generally?observed?on?other?Riesener?secr?taire???abattant.? ? ? The?frame?at?the?top?of?this?secr?taire???abattant??(underneath?the?marble)?is?also? different?from?that?seen?in?all?other?pieces?this?author?has?documented.??Instead?of? making?use?of?two?mitred?pieces,?there?is?a?third?piece?that?joins?the?two?sides?(see? Figure?5?85)???much?like?the?detail?illustrated?in?Roubo.?214?? ? The?history?of?this?piece?supports?the?idea?that?it?may?have?been?produced?in?another? workshop,?perhaps?under?Riesener?s?supervision.??This?piece?was?produced?two?months? after?the?order?for?it?had?been?placed,?which?represents?an?exceptionally?fast?turnaround?for? Riesener.? ? There?is?another?piece?that?has?just?recently?come?to?the?attention?of?this?author?which?also? has?some?differences?in?its?construction?and?that?of?the??standard??approach?used?by? Riesener.??This?piece?is?currently?privately?owned?and?is?in?Berlin.??The?only?portion?of?its? history?that?is?known?is?that?it?was?most?recently?purchased?in?Iran?(soon?after?the?fall?of?the? Shah?of?Iran)?and?moved?to?its?current?location.??While?there?is?a?stamp?for?Riesener,?it?is?not? a?very?clear?stamp?and?there?are?no?markings?on?the?back?supporting?its?entry?into?one?of? the?Royal?households?(no?inventory?marks).??The?differences?between?this?new?piece?and? Riesener?s?usual?approach?are?listed?below:?? ? ? The?ormolu?on?the?top?has?a?guilloche?pattern?like?many?of?Riesener?s?other?pieces? but?in?this?case?instead?of?oval?shapes,?perfectly?round?circles?form?the?pattern.?? ? The?top?section?(under?the?marble?top)?uses?a?different?kind?of?joint?from?either?the? one?proposed?by?A.?Roubo?(discussed?on?p.?266)?or?the?mitered?joint?usually?used?by? Riesener?(See?p.?255)?? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 214?See?A.?Roubo,?Trait??Th?orique?et?Pratique?de?L'?b?nistes?D'apr?s?Roubo,?Ch?Juliot???Librairie?Artistique,? Paris,?1884.? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 324? ? The?overall?size?of?the?piece?appears?much?narrower?than?any?of?the?other?pieces? (the?width?has?not?been?measured?at?this?time).?? ? The?configuration?of?the?drawers?in?the?top?section?is?much?different?from?the?other? secr?taire???abattant?in?that?it?includes?two?drawers?that?stretch?across?the?entire? secr?taire???abattant?followed?by?two?sets?of?small?drawers?(two?on?each?side.)? ? In?the?lower?section?there?is?no?safe?and?there?are?adjustable?shelves,?which?have?not? been?used?on?any?other?Riesener?piece?known?at?this?time.?? ? The?dovetails?on?the?drawers?are?longer?and?more?narrow?than?those?used?on?other? pieces.?? ? The?owner?believes?that?after?Riesener?was?excluded?from?work?for?Marie?Antoinette?(1784)? in?an?official?capacity?(as?the??b?niste?du?Roi)?he?changed?his?standard?approach.??He?has? actually?asked?that?research?to?confirm?or?to?disprove?this?theory?be?conducted?(a?proposal? will?be?submitted?to?conduct?this?research.)??A?few?overall?pictures?of?this?piece?are?included? in?Appendix?C?(page?467).? ? The?Chippendale?piece?that?has?provoked?some?questions?by?this?author?regarding?its? ? ? ? Figure?5?86:??The?Harewood?Library?Table?(left)?and?the?Harewood?Dressing?Table?(right);?both?have?extensive? marquetry,?with?similar?woods?and?similar?Neo?Classical?design?elements.? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 325? attribution?is?a?dressing?table?currently?housed?in?the?V?&?A?which?like?the?Harewood?table? was?originally?thought?to?have?come?from?Harewood?House.??? ? As?shown?in?Figure?5?86,?these?two?pieces?appear?very?similar?in?their?overall?approach?to? their?design.??Both?are?made?of? similar?materials?(oak,?pine?and? mahogany?structural?elements,? and?satinwood,?holly,?and? rosewood?veneers,?steel?and?brass? locks,?steel?screws,?etc.),?and?both? make?use?of?similar?Neo?Classical? motifs?(e.g.?swags,?circular?fan? shaped?patterns,?vases)? ? While?there?is?no?bill?for?a? veneered,?marquetry?dressing? table?to?tie?this?piece?to?Harewood,? there?is?a?letter?written?by?Lord? Lascelles?in?which?he?refers?to?a? marquetry?dressing?table?by? Chippendale.?However?(this?author? believes)?there?are?substantial? differences?that?need?to?be? considered.?215?? ? ? The?quality?of?the?wood?selected?for?the?Harewood?Dressing?Table?is?incompatible? with?other?Chippendale?pieces.??The?quality?of?both?the?oak?and?the?pine?are?inferior,? with?more?knots?than?is?usual???something?first?noted?by?the?V?&?A,?during?a? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 215?This?was?referenced?and?discussed?in?file?notes?for?this?piece?of?furniture,?located?in?the?V?&?A,?See:??Notes? on?file?at?V?&?A?Museum?for?Register?No?W?55?1928?accessed?15?July?2009.? ? Figure?5?87:??Inside?of?drawer?cavity?for?Harewood?dressing?table? showing?the?selection?of?timber?with?more?knots?(indicated?by? arrows),?back?board?of?pine,?and?smaller?railings.? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 326? conservation?exercise?that?took?place?in?the?late?1970?s216.?This?dressing?table?now? exhibits?substantial?amount?of?structural?warping,?especially?in?the?drawer?bottoms? which?are? thinner?than? usual,?as?well?of? wide?grain.? ? ? There?are? several? examples?of? marquetry? which?are? similar?between? the?Harewood? table?and?the? V&A?dressing?table;?similar?but?not?identical?which?would?be?more?logical.217?Two?key? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 216?This?was?also?referenced?and?discussed?in?file?notes?for?this?piece?of?furniture?located?in?the?V?&?A,?See:?? Notes?on?file?at?V?&?A?Museum?for?Register?No?W?55?1928?accessed?15?July?2009.? ? ? Figure?5?88:??Rosette?design?on?Harewood?Library?Table?(left)?and?Harewood? Dressing?table?(right)?Notice?the?differences:??on?the?Harewood?Library?Table? the?centre?is?a?flower,?the?outside?petals?are?closer?together,?there?is?no? secondary?petal?shape.? ? Figure?5?89:??Example?of?lower?quality?marquetry?on?the?Harewood? Dressing?table.??Notice?the?tilt?to?the?small?ball?at?the?top?of?the?flower,? the?inconsistencies?in?the?two?outside?petals,?the??wobbles??in?the?lines?of? the?petals.? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 327? examples?are?to?be?found?in?the?vase?that?is?located?on?the?door?front?and?the?small? enclosed?petal?designs?that?decorate?the?top?border?(see?Figure?5?88).?? ? ? The?quality?of?the?cuts?in?the?marquetry?were?also?found?to?be?inconsistent?with?the? quality?of?cutting?in?the?Harewood?Library?Table.?There?were?larger?gaps?between? the?background?and?foreground?veneers?as?well?as?marked?differences?in?elements? that?should?have?looked?the?same?(see?Figure?5?89).?? ? ? The?locks?on?the?door?were?different?from?those?used?on?every?other?piece?of? Chippendale?furniture.?On?this?dressing?table,?the?latch?is?visible?to?the?outside? whereas?on?all?other?pieces,?the?latch?is?invisible???see?Figure?5?90.?? ? ? The?drawers?that?were?behind?the?cabinet?doors?have?cockbeading???again?very? unusual?for?Chippendale.?? ? ? The?feet?are?very?unusual?for?Chippendale.? ? ? The?dressing?table?lacks?ormolu???not?unusual?in?itself?but?unusual?in?terms?of?its? (seeming)?relation?to?the?Harewood?Library?Table.?? ? There?is?evidence?to?suggest?that?Lascelles?did?commission?cabinetmakers?other?than? Chippendale,?for?example?the?commode?by?Renishaw??(as?per?C.?Gilbert218).??Furthermore? the?Lascelles?reference?to?his?dressing?table?is?vague?and?possibly?could?have?indicated? apiece?made?for?Lascelles?by?local?furniture?makers?in?imitation?of?the?Harewood?Library? Table.219??????? ? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 217?From?an?aesthetic?point?of?view,?making?the?elements?of?the?two?pieces?match?exactly?would?better? connect?the?two?pieces?together?(why?else?would?one?have?two?pieces?of?furniture?made?by?the?same?person,? in?the?same?general?style.)??From?a?practical?point?of?view,?once?a?design?element?has?been?drawn?out?and?the? template?made,?it?is?easier?to?copy?the?design?exactly?and?not?create?an?entirely?new?design.?? 218?C.?Gilbert,?The?Life?and?Works?of?Thomas?Chippendale,?Studio?Vista/Christies,?London,?1978.,?p.198.? 219?A.?Mullins,?Local?Furniture?Makers?at?Harewood?House?as?Representatives?of?Provincial?Craftsmanship,? Journal?of?The?Furniture?History?Society,?Vol?I,?1965,?pp.?32?38.? C.?Gilbert,?The?Life?and?Works?of?Thomas?Chippendale.? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 328? ? Prices?Paid?For?these?Pieces:??A?discussion?of?the?prices?paid?for?the?two?pieces?which?stand? at?the?heart?of?this?case?study?may?add?to?our?understanding?of?these?two?pieces?by? providing?us?with?some?idea?as?to?the?value?that?the?culture?of?the?time?placed?on?these?two? pieces?of?furniture?and?some?insight?into?the?lives?of?those?who?purchased?them.????? ? No?record?of?the?actual?price?paid?for?Chippendale?Library?Table?has?ever?been?found,?either? in?Harewood?House?or?Chippendale?s?records.??However?there?are?two?things?that?we?do? know.???First?of?all?we?know?the?price?paid?for?similar?tables?by?Chippendale?and?secondly,? we?know?that?the?Harewood?table?was?the?most?elaborate?library?table?he?ever?produced.?It? had?very?elaborate?marquetry?which?none?of?the?other?library?tables?had;?it?was?also? decorated?with?high?quality?ormolu?of?a?kind?not?found?on?any?other?library?table?and?so?we? can?safely?assume?that?the?Harewood?Library?Table?was?more?expensive?than?any?of?the? other?library?tables?made?by?Chippendale.???Of?the?library?tables?that?Chippendale?made,?the? prices?of?four?library?tables?are?known.??These?are?shown?in?the?chart?below:?? ? Table?5?14? Prices?Paid?for?Chippendale?s?Library?Tables?and?Secretary? Name?of?Table? Brief?Description?(When?Made)? Price? Paid?(?)? Dumfries?Library? Table? Basic?design?with?fold?out?drawing/reading?platform?and?large?drawing? drawer?(between?1759?and?1766).? ?22? Nostell?Priory? Library?Table? Heavily?carved?table?with?foldout?drawing/reading?platform?and?large? drawing?drawer?(Made?between?1766?and?1785).? ?72? Harewood?House? secr?taire220? This?drop?front?secr?taire?is?modelled?after?the?French?design.?It?is? covered?with?marquetry,?but?has?no?ormolu?(Made?in?1772).? ?26? Mersham?????????????????????????????????? Le?Hatch?Library? Table? (No?picture?or?description?is?available?for?this?piece?of?furniture??(Made? in?1767).? ?12? Corsham?Court? Library?Table? Gothic?style?table?with?brass?rim?around?the?top,?basic?features?except? that?it?has?more?drawers?than?usual??(Made?in?1779).? ?18.6? ? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 220?Note?that?in?the?correspondence?between?Chippendale?and?the?house,?this?price?was?for?a?japanned? secr?taire?with?the?japanned?panels?being?supplied?by?the?client.??While?it?is?clear?that?a?secr?taire?was? delivered?to?Harewood?House,?it?is?not?clear?if?it?was?the?Japanned?model?as?the?model?that?is?currently?at? Harewood?House?is?a?marquetry?version?which?is?probably?slightly?more?expensive?than?the?japanned?version.?? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 329? Using?the?exchange?rates?discussed?in?Appendix?B?(section?2)?there?was?24?French?livre?to?1? pound?sterling?in?the?C18th.??So?in?C18th?livre,?the?cost?of?these?pieces?of?furniture?was?as? follows:?Dumfries???528?livre,?Nostell?Priory???1,728?livre,?Harewood?House?Secretary???624? livre,?Mersham?Le?Hatch???288?livre,?Corsham?Court???466?livre.??Since?the?Harewood?Library? table?was?much?more?elaborate?than?any?other?of?Chippendales?other?tables,?it?is?safe?to? assume?that?its?cost?was?higher?than?that?of?any?of?these?other?pieces.???? ? We?do?have?prices?for?a?number?of?Riesener?secr?taire???abattants?and?other?authors?have? been?able?to?locate?prices?of?some?of?the?least?expensive?models?of?Riesener?s?secr?taire??? abattant.??? Table?5?15? Prices?of?Riesener?Furniture?? Name?of?Secr?taire? ??Abattant?? Brief?Description?(When?Made)? ?Price?(Livre)? Waddesdon?Manor? Secr?taire???abattant? Large?Secr?taire???abattant?with?elaborate? marquetry?and?ormolu?on?front?and?sides.?Made?in? 1777.? 8120221? NY?Met?Secr?taire??? abattant? A?black?lacquered?panelled?secr?taire???abattant? with?detailed?floral?ormolu.??Made?in?1783?or?1784? 6000222? Fountanieu?Secr?taire? ??abattant? Large?Secr?taire???abattant?with?elaborate? marquetry?and?ormolu?on?front?and?sides???made? in?1771.? 7000223? ? Considering?that?a?simpler?version?of?Riesener?s?secr?taire?was?invoiced?at?about?300?to?400? livre,?it?seems?that?the?cost?for?similarly?featured?pieces?were?actually?about?the?same? England?as?in?France.?224???However,?on?balance,?it?would?seem?that?the?French?pieces? (arguably)?provided?better?value?for?money???they?were?decorated?with?highly?detailed? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 221?P.?Verlet,?French?Royal?Furniture???A?historical?Survey,?Followed?by?a?study?of?Forty?Pieces?Preserved?in?Great? Britain?and?the?United?States,?Bartrrie?and?Rockliff,?London,?1966,?p.?131.? 222?P.?Verlet,?French?Royal?Furniture???A?historical?Survey,?Followed?by?a?study?of?Forty?Pieces?Preserved?in?Great? Britain?and?the?United?States,?Bartrrie?and?Rockliff,?London,?1966,?p.?160.? 223?No?Author?Given,?Christies?Catalogue:??Fine?Objects?of?Art,?Clocks,?and?Ormolu?Mounded?Porcelain,? Important?French?Furniture,?Christies,?London,?December?1974,?pp.?84?85.? F.?Davis,?Talking?about?Sales?Rooms,?Country?Life,?16?Jan?1975.? 224?A.?Pradere?provides?three?examples?of?secr?taire???abattant?that?are?priced?between?240L?to?500L?A.? Pradere,?(Translated?by?P.?Wood),?French?Furniture?Makers:?The?Art?of?the?Ebeniste?from?Louis?XIV?to?the? Revolution,?Sotheby's?Publications,?London,?1989,?p.?379.? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 330? marquetry,?a?better?quality?of?ormolu,?they?were?larger?and?contained?more?features?in?the? way?of?elaborate?locks,?secret?compartments,?etc.?? ? I. Concluding?Remarks?? ? It?is?interesting?to?note?that?there?is?a?myth?perpetrated?among?restorers?about?the?lower? quality?of?structural?elements?of?French?furniture,?compared?to?English?furniture.??Essentially? the?myth?is?that?French?furniture?from?this?period?looks??better??than?English?furniture?but? that?English?furniture?has?higher?quality?construction.??This?proved?not?to?be?the?case,?both? of?these?cabinetmakers?produced?very?high?quality?furniture.??From?the?detailed?study?of? these?pieces?it?was?obvious?that?both?workshops?were?very?concerned?with?producing?the? best?quality?of?furniture?available?at?that?time.??One?could?speculate?that?they?were?both? developing?and?setting?the?standards?for?making?good?quality?furniture?by?establishing? excellent?working?standards.??From?the?selection?of?the?wood,?to?the?cutting?of?the?dovetails? to?the?selection?of?the?veneers,?both?makers?however?were?different?in?their?approaches? (e.g.,?Chippendale?used?long?slender?front?dove?tails,?he?used?pine,?spruce,?fir?or?other? similar?wood,?while?Riesener?used?shorter?less?angular?dovetails?on?the?drawer?fronts?and? only?oak?in?his?construction?(both?furniture?makers?sometimes?used?mahogany?for?the? drawer?fronts.).?? ? Listed?within?this?chapter,?are?all?of?the?details?about?the?approaches?that?Chippendale?and? Riesener?used?to?construct?these?pieces?as?well?as?many?other?similar?pieces?of?furniture.??? Included?is?a?comparison?of?the?ways?in?which?the?drawers?were?constructed,?the?materials? used,?the?way?the?marquetry?was?executed,?the?ormolu?and?the?designs?of?these?two?pieces.?? As?they?are?presented?in?detail?in?this?chapter?and?they?are?summarized?in?the?next,? concluding,?chapter?(Starting?on?p.?332.),?they?will?not?be?listed?here.?? ? From?a?cultural?viewpoint,?both?pieces?represented?different?variations?of?the?Neo?Classical? pieces?of?furniture.?While?the?Harewood?Library?Table?displayed?many?of?the?classical?motifs? in?the?marquetry?patterns?and?in?its?ormolu,?the?Riesener?secr?taire???abattant?seemed?to? be?embracing?more?the?classical?form?with?very?straight?and?simplified?lines,?displaying?a? MAKING?FASHIONABLE?FURNITURE:?Chapter?V???Case?Histories? ??Page?? ? 331? few?classical?symbols?in?its?ormolu.??From?the?study?of?the?features?offered?on?these?pieces,? English?aristocrats?were?probably?more?interested?in?architecture?and?the?arts.?The?library? tables?represented?a?much?stronger,?more?imposing?presence??(one?could?argue?a?more? masculine?presence)?in?part?due?to?its?size?and?in?part?due?to?its?location?in?the?centre?of?the? room.??The?secr?taire???abattant,?on?the?other?hand,?indicates?a?greater?need?for?secrecy? both?in?its?function?with?the?three?locks,?and?the?complicated?locking?systems?and?its? location?and?presence?in?a?room?(it?was?always?located?against?a?wall?and?when?closed?it? offered?a?very?non?intrusive?profile.)??Thus,?the?secr?taire???abattant?was?designed?not?to? have?a?strong?presence,?but?instead?it?was?designed?to?blend?into?the?walls.??This?too? suggests?the?stronger?need?for?secrecy.??The?fact?that?the?secr?taire???abattant?could?close? up?hiding?all?work?surfaces,?again?suggests?a?strong?desire?for?privacy.?? ? ? ? ? ?