A Pair of Louis XV Ormolu-Mounted Amaranth Cabinets stamped BVRB, and with the brand for the Château de Bellevue

Probably commissioned by Louis XV, circa 1750

Sent to the château de Bellevue, probably shortly after 1763

Probably Mesdames de France, aunts of Louis XVI, château de Bellevue

Galerie Aveline, Paris

Alexandre Pradère, Les ébénistes Français de Louis XIV à la révolution, Paris, 1989, p. 198, fig. 191.

This pair of cabinets do not appear in the Etat Général des meubles du château de Bellevue drawn up in April-May 1763.  The presence of the royal brand for the château of Bellevue indicates that they were in the château at some period during the reign of Louis XV between 1757 when he purchased Bellevue from Madame de Pompadour, and his death in 1774.  The ink inventory marks on the backs of the cabinets have been painted over so it has not been possible to retrace their history.  In all likelihood, the cabinets were a private commission by Louis XV from a marchand-mercier such as

Hébert circa 1750 and not through the Garde-Meuble.  Installed in one of the Royal palaces, they would have been moved to Bellevue between 1763 and 1774.  The presence of at least two painted-over inventory marks would indicate that the cabinets were probably still at Bellevue for the 1786 inventory and probably sold at the same time as the other contents after the Revolution.

The Château de Bellevue

The site for the château was acquired by Louis XV in 1748. Situated between St. Cloud and Meudon on the edge of a forest, it enjoyed spectacular views of the Seine valley.  The architect for the house was Jean Cailletot Lassurance, and the gardens were designed by Jean-Charles Garnier and Jean Gailleteau.  Work began in June 1748 and was finished by November 1750.  In 1749 the King gave the land to Madame de Pompadour.  The château during her tenure was of modest size with nine bays to the front and six to the sides with two storeys.

Following his re-purchase of the château in 1757, Louis XV embarked upon considerable re-building under Gabriel with an almost complete remodeling of the interior to accommodate the Royal Family and their various apartments.

In 1774 following the death of Louis XV, Bellevue was occupied by the new King Louis XVI’s aunts, Mesdames Adélaïde, Victoire and Sophie, who continued to inhabit the château until the revolution.  The château was largely demolished in 1823.

Bernard II Vanrisamburgh

Bernard II Vanrisamburgh (after 1696-c. 1766), arguably the greatest ébéniste of the Louis XV period, was the son of a successful cabinet-maker with a workshop on rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine.  He worked for the most important and influential marchand merciers, such as Hébert, Lazare Duvaux and Poirier and does not appear to have had direct contact with his distinguished clientèle.  This may account for the fact that his estampille 'BVRB' was largely a mystery until it was identified in 1957 by J-P Baroli.