La Mésangère (1/7) - Furniture and tasteful objects from the early 19th century, polychrome engravings, gilded wood frame

A series of engravings / hand watercolored plates from the "Collections de meubles et objets de goût" published by Pierre de La Mésangère (1761-1831), who edited a catalog between 1801 and 1815 illustrating the evolution of taste in the decorative arts under the Empire and Restoration, intended to disseminate in France and around the world the latest fashions and trends in French taste at the beginning of the 19th century.

Pierre Joseph Antoine Leboux de La Mésangère was a man of letters, co-founder, senior editor and publisher of the Journal des dames et des modes from 1797 to 1831.

This collection is a bible for collectors of the Empire period to understand the evolution of fashion at the time and its diffusion in the decorative arts. To showcase this collection, we have selected engravings and subjects by object family, and presented them in gilded wood frames in the Empire and Restoration styles, each engraving inscribed in a window standing out against a dark blue background.
This set is the first in a series of 7 frames that we will be offering for sale with these matching finishes. The frames are large-format, highly furnishable.

This first frame features Empire mahogany secretaries and desks, and en suite chests of drawers with their flamed mahogany secretaries. Recognized in the lower right is a chest of drawers and secretary with a rich lictor-beam pattern, attributed to Jean Jacques Werner, a copy of which sold at Christie's in 2014 (https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5840255).
The watercolor work on the boards is remarkable, particularly that which simulates the flaming of the mahogany.

NB: this first set can be complemented by a set featuring curtains and textiles, presented in an identical frame that can make a perfect pair with this one. Other boards are also available to complete this set (photos on request).

Excellent condition, fresh engravings, sometimes with traces of folding. We have chosen amateur finishes for this set, with wood frames and stucco gilded with gold leaf in excellent condition, restored by our gilder.
NB: for this series of engravings, we had anti-UV glass mounted on the frames to protect the polychromy.

Frame size: 97cm x 75cm

Ref: K28GJ1HQBZ