Godefroy Dester Furniture

A magnificent marquetry secretaire 'a abbatant' bearing the stamp G. Dester. Godefroy Dester (1768-1805, maitre ebeniste 1774) lead a successful workshop/ atelier at Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine. His goût Grecque style was clearly inspired by the oeuvres of Adam Weisweiler and Guillaume Beneman. He was evidently well regarded, as he was chosen as the ébéniste for a magnificent pair of porcelain-mounted commodes designed by the architect François Joseph Bélanger and supplied to the Comte d'Artois. A Breche d'Alep marble top with canted corners above a frieze drawer, the canted front corners inlaid to simulate fluting and applied with gilt bronze mounts above a fall-front opening to reveal a red leather lined writing surface and fitted interior with six small drawers, above two cupboard doors enclosing a shelf, with a shaped apron mounted with a gilt bronze urn and strapwork, on bracket feet. The whole veneered with sycamore, kingwood, amaranth and stained woods on a carcase of oak, with marquetry panels including flower bunches and trophies of musical instruments - a secretaire 'aux instruments de musique'. See: Pierre Kjellberg: Le mobilier Francaise...