Cabinet

Artist Joseph Cremer (French, 1811-1878)

Place of OriginParis, France

Date1856

Dimensions8 ft., 8 3/8 in. x 5 ft., 11 in. (285 x 180 cm)

Mediumoak with veneer, marquetry, pearwood carving, and gilded bronze

ClassificationFurniture

Credit LineMr. and Mrs. George M. Jones, Jr. Fund

Object number

1990.97

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 32

DescriptionOak cabinet with amboina veneer, walnut veneer, ebony veneer, walnut marquetry, mahogany marquetry, pearwood carving, gilded bronze.

Label TextThe Paris ébéniste (cabinetmaker) Joseph Cremer was internationally known for the revival of French Renaissance and Baroque marquetry techniques, especially his inlays using the natural hues of wood, tortoise shell, and metal for naturalistic decorations. Made for the London International Exhibition of 1862, this architectural cabinet was not only a technical showpiece for Cremer, but also reflected a current French national agenda. Its exterior displays elements of French Renaissance furniture, such as ancient gods and goddesses. The interior of the upper doors (see illustration) shows trophies that combine objects from the South Pacific, including a lei, spears, feathered helmet, and shield. They refer to French colonial explorations and settlements in the South Pacific during the reign of Napoleon III (ruled 1852–70). The subdued natural colors of the exterior reflect the 19th-century perception of Renaissance furniture, the brightly painted decorations of which had faded over time. The richly colored marquetry on the interior was achieved by a new deep-staining technique that substituted natural hues with more permanent polychrome dyes.Published ReferencesToledo Museum of Art, Toledo Museum of Art Masterworks, Toledo, 2009, p. 246, repr. (col.) and (det.).

Busch, Jason T. and Catherine L. Futter, Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World's Fairs, 1851-1939, Pittsburgh, Carnegie Museum of Art, 2012, cat. 14, repr. (col.) p. 84, pp. 85-86.

Exhibition HistoryToledo, Toledo Museum of Art, Out of Sight, June 18-Aug. 29, 2010 (no cat.).

Kansas City, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art; Pittsburgh, Carnegie Museum of Art, Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at World’s Fairs 1851-1939, April 7, 2012-February 24, 2013.