Fine Large Early Louis XVI Carved Giltwood Mirror/Frame in the manner of François-Charles Buteux or François-Joseph Duret
the ribbon-tied, husk-draped cresting centered by a cartouche, the apron carved with a spray of roses and lilies; probably originally intended as a picture frame but now with a mirror-plate
Height 157cm (62inches)
Width 115cm (45 1/4 inches)
circa 1775
The attribution of picture frames in 1770s France is complicated by the collaborations that went on between workshops. It is known that, in 1775, Boulanger, carver to the bâtiments du Roi, sub-contracted work on some royal frames to François-Joseph Duret (1729-1816), carver to the Comte de Provence. François-Charles Buteux (1732-1788), carver to the Comte d’Artois, also took on collaborative work with other carvers – a design for a frame in the Courtauld Institute attributed to him is here illustrated.
