Grohé Frères Ebony Bureau Plat

10509 A French Louis Philippe ebony and gilt bronze mounted and line inlaid bureau plat by Grohé Frères, Paris, the shaped rectangular top with a green leather writing surface and bronze edge mount, above three shaped frieze drawers with bold floral gilt bronze mounts supported by strong cabriole legs with mounts and sabots, and on original wooden, double casters. Stamped Grohé Frères in two places.

 

France, Paris

1845-1850

 

Height: 31 ins (79 cms)

Width:  59.5 ins (151 cms)

Depth: 34 ins (86 cms)                                              £35,000

Categories: ,

Description

Grohé Frères, 1829-1884.

Guillaume and Jean-Michel, established their business in 1829 and first exhibited at the 1834 Paris Exposition des Produits de L’industrie, then in 1839, winning a Silver Medal and triumphantly in 1844 with the Gold Medal. The 1844 Exposition had the greatest impact on the career of the brothers, subsequently supplying furniture to King Louis Philippe and notably to his younger son, the Duc D’Aumale for the Chateau de Chantilly.

Designing in styles derived from the Regence and Louis XV periods of the previous century, Grohé epitomised the Louis Philippe style. Looking back to the glory of the 17th and 18th century, not as copyists but as designers creating their own genre. The cabinet work was always of the highest quality but Grohe were well known for the quality and originality of their bronze work and particularly the gilt bronzes.

This bureau plat can be compared with directly with the Chantilly furniture, still in situ, which was commissioned and purchased from 1845 bearing the same Grohé Freres stamp. Notably a grand side cabinet or meuble d’appui and an astonishing bureau a cylinder purchased in 1847.

The fine ebony veneers used in conjunction with variations of the same gilt bronze mounts in designs unique to this company, place this bureau plat at this key period in the development of the Louis Philippe style.

 

Grohé Frères Ebony Bureau Plat