Date: about 1670-75
Maker: cabinetwork attributed to André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732), medal by Jean Warin (1607–1672)
Materials: oak, walnut, conifer, ebony, turtleshell, various stained woods, brass, tin, copper, gilt bronze, gold, silver and steel
Measurements: 186.7 x 123 x 65 cm
Inv. no. F16
Before Boulle used the turtleshell and brass marquetry for which he would become known, he specialised in intricate wood marquetry, as seen on the cabinet here.
This piece is attributed to the early period of Boulle's career, around 1670–75, following his recent appointment as cabinetmaker to Louis XIV.
The cabinet, one of a small number, contains numerous drawers and secret compartments, and is a descendant of the types of cabinets in which Renaissance collectors kept small, precious objects. However, it would primarily have been appreciated as an artwork in itself.
Originally highly coloured, the marquetry depicts flowers with great realism, reflecting a contemporary interest in gardens and the natural world more broadly.
Boulle has included a variety of blooms, from peonies and narcissi to roses and honeysuckle. He has even added insects, such as a grasshopper perched on an acanthus scroll and a bee landing on another, to heighten the illusion of the outside being brought in.
Boulle’s marquetry may have been inspired by contemporary Dutch still life painting, which often features similar bouquets embellished with small creatures, all rendered with an uncanny naturalism.
The sumptuous upper section of the cabinet is borne by two caryatids, who are full of baroque dynamism. On the left, a figure, crowned with sheaves of wheat, represents Summer, while the figure on the right, crowned with grape vines, represents Autumn.
Although their appearance owes much to the architecture of ancient Rome, the figures more closely resemble the figures that support the dome of the grand salon at Vaux-le-Vicomte.
This monumental château was built by Louis XIV’s finance minister, Nicolas Fouquet, with the court painter Charles Le Brun (1619–1690) overseeing its decoration.
Fouquet’s lavish spending and alleged embezzlement of state funds led the king to order his arrest and to have the house appropriated, along with its creators, who later worked at Versailles.
Above the central door of the cabinet is a medal depicting the young French king himself, surrounded by trophies of war, perhaps alluding to his military campaigns in the Low Countries.
The medal was made by Warin, a sculptor and medallist who became head of a Paris mint and made a whole series of medals dedicated to the royal family and their retainers.
Despite its iconography, a royal provenance has not been established for the cabinet, although it is more likely that it was commissioned by a prominent courtier, with an image of the king included as a sign of allegiance.
The cabinet was bought by Sir Richard Wallace from the dealers Beurdeley in 1872. He perhaps thought it dated to the Renaissance, as it was displayed in his ‘Sixteenth Century Room’, surrounded by maiolica.