Pierre Roussel
Encyclopedia
Pierre Roussel was a successful but somewhat pedestrian cabinetmaker (ébéniste
) of Paris
. He was joined in his extensive business by his two sons, Pierre-Michel (master in 1766) and Pierre le jeune (master in 1771).
Roussel's stamp, with its fleur-de-lis
between the P and ROUSSEL, is often seen, but such quantities of goods made by others, both new and old, passed through the shop, and so much cabinetwork from Roussel's workshop was sold and stamped by other marchands-ébénistes, that it is not easy to recognize any consistent sequence of characteristic styles, characteristic constructions, gilt-bronze mounts unique to his shop or marquetry. Consequently Roussel is often credited with a wide-ranging stylistic approach.
The elder Roussel's father was a simple compagnon, a journeyman cabinetmaker working for a master ébéniste. Four of Roussel's brothers were menuisiers, working on carved seat furniture and room paneling. He married Marie-Antoinette Fontaine in 1743 and was received as a master cabinetmaker in the Paris guild, 21 August 1745.. From modest beginnings, by the 1760s Roussel worked himself to the top of his profession: he was appointed a juré in 1762 and by 1780 and had held other offices in the Corporation des Menuisiers-Ébénistes
.
Among his grand later patrons was the Prince de Condé, who made considerable purchases for the Palais Bourbon
and the Château de Chantilly
between 1775 and 1780. At the time of his death, the inventory was compiled by a noted ébéniste, Jean-François Leleu
and Jean-Baptiste Cochois. There were at least three workshops, a store-room (magasin) and a retail shop (boutique). A number of pieces were lacquered, and six lacquer panels and marquetry was mentioned, geometric, floral and landscape. There were also marble tops, and a stock of veneers.
Roussel was able to give his four daughters dowries and marry them successfully into the solid bourgeoisie. Roussel's son Pierre-Michel established himself as a furniture dealer in fashionable rue St-Honoré. Pierre II Roussel, "le jeune" inherited the family shop from his mother, who had continued to run it after her husband's death, using the same stamp, but in 1792 he closed it, to deal exclusively in exotic timbers and veneers.
Ébéniste
Ébéniste is the French word for a cabinetmaker, whereas in French menuisier denotes a woodcarver or chairmaker. The English equivalent for "ébéniste," "ebonist," is never commonly used. Originally, an ébéniste was one who worked with ebony, a favoured luxury wood for mid-seventeenth century...
) of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was joined in his extensive business by his two sons, Pierre-Michel (master in 1766) and Pierre le jeune (master in 1771).
Roussel's stamp, with its fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
between the P and ROUSSEL, is often seen, but such quantities of goods made by others, both new and old, passed through the shop, and so much cabinetwork from Roussel's workshop was sold and stamped by other marchands-ébénistes, that it is not easy to recognize any consistent sequence of characteristic styles, characteristic constructions, gilt-bronze mounts unique to his shop or marquetry. Consequently Roussel is often credited with a wide-ranging stylistic approach.
The elder Roussel's father was a simple compagnon, a journeyman cabinetmaker working for a master ébéniste. Four of Roussel's brothers were menuisiers, working on carved seat furniture and room paneling. He married Marie-Antoinette Fontaine in 1743 and was received as a master cabinetmaker in the Paris guild, 21 August 1745.. From modest beginnings, by the 1760s Roussel worked himself to the top of his profession: he was appointed a juré in 1762 and by 1780 and had held other offices in the Corporation des Menuisiers-Ébénistes
Corporation des Menuisiers-Ébénistes
The Corporation des Menuisiers-Ébénistes was a French craft guild which was concerned with the profession of woodmaking....
.
Among his grand later patrons was the Prince de Condé, who made considerable purchases for the Palais Bourbon
Palais Bourbon
The Palais Bourbon, , a palace located on the left bank of the Seine, across from the Place de la Concorde, Paris , is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government.-History:...
and the Château de Chantilly
Château de Chantilly
The Château de Chantilly is a historic château located in the town of Chantilly, France. It comprises two attached buildings; the Grand Château, destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s, and the Petit Château which was built around 1560 for Anne de Montmorency...
between 1775 and 1780. At the time of his death, the inventory was compiled by a noted ébéniste, Jean-François Leleu
Jean-François Leleu
Jean-François Leleu was a leading French furniture-maker of the eighteenth century.Leleu was trained in the workshop of Jean-François Oeben , and after his master's death took the workshop's lead and became master in 1764. His furniture was known for its high quality, elegance, and restraint,...
and Jean-Baptiste Cochois. There were at least three workshops, a store-room (magasin) and a retail shop (boutique). A number of pieces were lacquered, and six lacquer panels and marquetry was mentioned, geometric, floral and landscape. There were also marble tops, and a stock of veneers.
Roussel was able to give his four daughters dowries and marry them successfully into the solid bourgeoisie. Roussel's son Pierre-Michel established himself as a furniture dealer in fashionable rue St-Honoré. Pierre II Roussel, "le jeune" inherited the family shop from his mother, who had continued to run it after her husband's death, using the same stamp, but in 1792 he closed it, to deal exclusively in exotic timbers and veneers.