Paintings in Wood: French Marquetry Furniture

Marquetry – creating patterns and pictures through inlaid veneers – has long been recognized as one of the most attractive and sophisticated methods of decorating fine furniture; indeed the visually arresting marquetry compositions of eighteenth-century Paris were described by one contemporary as no less than 'paintings in wood.' Illuminating the marvelous world of beauty conjured up by superlative French craftsmen including André-Charles Boulle, Jean-François Oeben and Jean-Henri Riesener, this book also reveals the technical secrets of this special art form, its sources and history. Richly illustrated with masterpieces from the Wallace Collection in London and other collections it also examines the extraordinary color contrasts which would have been seen when the marquetry was first produced. Yannick Chastang is a conservator in the Wallace Collection, with particular responsibility for furniture conservation. He has worked on the conservation of a number of masterpieces of eighteenth-century French furniture.