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A very beautiful Louis XVI gilt-bronze mounted tulipwood, amaranth, bois tabac, boxwood and tinted wood marquetry secrétaire à abattant by Jacques Bircklé, stamped BIRCKLE, the rectangular white marble top above a panelled drawer with a floral trellis inlay, the frieze drawer, fall-front and pair of lower drawers each with ribbon-tied gilt brass escutcheons, the fall-front inlaid with cord-hung drapery above ribbon-tied musical trophies with quivers and a pair of doves flanked by corn-husks within a geometric framed border, the sides inlaid with two conformingly shaped framed borders enclosing ribbon-tied floral sprays, the fall-front opening to reveal a red leather-lined writing-surface and fitted interior with four open compartments and six small drawers, the lower doors inlaid with flower filled urns on a mound flanked by a pair of tulips within a geometric border, the lower fitted interior with one long and one divided shelf above a shaped apron with foliate triglyph mount, the canted corners with vertical inlays headed by a scrolled volute mount on canted bracket feet with foliate mounts
Paris, date circa 1770
Height 140 cm, width 82 cm, depth 39.5 cm.
Literature: Pierre Kjellberg, “Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe Siècle”, 1998, p. 70, pl. B, illustrating a very similar unstamped Louis XVI Bircklé secrétaire; and p. 73, pl. B, illustrating another Bircklé secrétaire of the same design with a pair of similar trophies adorning the fall-front.
All the characteristic elements of Jacques Bircklé’s (1734-1803) production can be found on this handsome piece, notably the superb marquetry work, which as here included musical trophies, floral bouquets and flower-filled vases or urns. Bircklé often framed his masterpieces with similar geometric borders and also included trellis patterns, ribbons and draperies. Furthermore the overall form is typical of his work of the 1770’s, during which he favoured canted corners and bracket feet decorated with similar foliate mounts. Bircklé’s production was of the finest quality; it was also varied, adapting to changing fashions to incorporate the Louis XV, Transition or later full Louis VI styles. Above all it was distinguished by its decorative effect, achieved by Bircklé’s undeniable talent in marquetry, in which he tended to create vivid tones through contrasting pure wood and tinted wood veneers. Bircklé often made pieces from light clear coloured woods offsetting detailed decorations against a darker background. To enhance this effect, the form and lines of each piece as well as the gilt bronze mounts tended to be relatively simple. In addition to his more usual motifs, he introduced a highly original trompe l’oeil type of marquetry, evident on some of his Transition and Louis XVI commodes and secrétaires.
Having worked as an independent artisan in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, Paris, Bircklé was received as a maître in 1764. Later he moved to rue Saint-Nicolas and in 1785 began working for the Garde-Meuble Royal. His clientele included some of the most celebrated figures in pre-Revolutionary France. In 1787 he supplied two commodes to the comtesse de Provence at Versailles and also six commodes and a semi-circular console to Queen Marie-Antoinette at Saint-Cloud. He also received orders from Madame Elizabeth at Montreuil, the duc d’Orléans and the princesse de Lamballe. In 1788 he worked for the Dauphin at Meudon and in the same year supplied the Garde-Meuble Royal with 28 items including commodes, secrétaires, writing-tables and fire-screens. Further consignments to the royal household followed in 1789. Although the Revolution put a stop to royal commissions, Bircklé’s business continued and on his death in 1803 was run by his son Jacques-Gaspard Bircklé (1765-1844). Today his work can be found among a number of prestigious private collections as well as the Parisian Musées des Arts Décoratifs, Cognacq-Jay and Petit Palais as well as the Lambinet at Versailles.
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