A Louis XV git-mounted black background Parisian varnished commode, circa 1765, attributed to Dubois and restored by Jean-François Leleu

Related literature :

T. Wolvesperges, Le meuble français en laque au XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 2000

As is often the case with Jacques Dubois's commodes, the lacquer or Parisian varnished panels are framed by bronze frame that do not overwhelm the surface. They consist of more or less ribbed curves on which leafy branches run. With the same desire to preserve the harmony of the front decoration, the commode is made sans traverse. He is one of the great cabinetmakers of the reign of Louis XV and produced a large number of lacquered furniture pieces. Whether he used panels of Japanese lacquer (see the commode inv. MB 450 at the Carnavalet Museum), Chinese lacquer, or whether he employed a Parisian varnisher to imitate oriental panels, it is clear that he paid particular attention to the bronzes that enriched his creations. His posthumous inventory reveals that he had a large stock of ready-to-use bronzes, thus ensuring the exclusivity of his bronzes and adding yet another distinctive feature to his production.

The stamp of Jean-François Leleu, who became a master cabinetmaker in 1764, indicates that he restored the commode in the second half of the 18th century.