Hosted by the Southern California Chapter in Partnership with the Royal Oak Foundation
Jean-Henri Riesener (1734–1806) was one of the greatest French cabinetmakers of all time. From humble beginnings as a German immigrant in Paris, he found fame through the delivery of a magnificent roll-top desk to Louis XVI in 1769 and went on to become Marie-Antoinette’s favorite cabinetmaker, supplying the queen and the court of Louis XVI with sumptuous furniture of superb quality. In the nineteenth century, Riesener’s name became associated with the very best of Louis XVI-period French furniture, and his furniture was later prized by 19th century collectors such as the Rothschilds.
Brother and sister Ferdinand and Alice de Rothschild were part of a new generation of collectors in the late nineteenth century who were particularly interested in the authenticity and provenance of their Riesener furniture. Their eleven pieces of furniture by Riesener are now part of the collection at Waddesdon Manor (a National Trust property), the only surviving intact Rothschild house open to the public. Dr. Mia Jackson, Curator of Decorative Arts at Waddesdon, will speak about these amazing treasures at Waddesdon Manor.
Dr. Mia Jackson previously worked for English Heritage, the Wallace Collection, and the department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum. She wrote her doctoral thesis on the cabinetmaker André Charles Boulle and his collection of works on paper. She is interested in decorative arts in general and French ceramics and furniture in particular. She recently co-edited, with Helen Jacobsen and Rufus Bird, the book Jean-Henri Riesener: Cabinetmaker to Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette.
Image: Waddesdon Image Library, Chris Lacey
Register for the event here. Registration will close one hour prior to the event.
This program is in partnership with the Royal Oak Foundation.
This event is hosted by an ICAA Chapter. Please check the Chapter website or contact the Chapter directly, for the most up-to-date details including dates, times, and pricing.