The Cabinetmaker’s Compromise: A Commode and the Changing Aesthetic of French Canada

                    Engraving on early Quebec.

The increased settlement of New France as a fur-trading colony in the late 17th century led to the subsequent development and expansion of the region’s interior. As towns and cities grew, so did their capital, creating a class of wealthy merchants apart from the well-to-do officers and officials. This was most evident in Montreal, as it was the “westernmost point accessible by ocean-going ships” at the convergence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers, thus controlling the passages to the Great Lakes and the interior fur-trading regions. In Montreal, tertiary sectors of the fur trading economy grew to accommodate new inhabitants, transforming the small town into the economic hub for the French fur trading industry. During this time, population growth in the colony was steady, but in Montreal it appeared more accelerated, ranging from a few hundred in the later part of the 17th century to approximately 7,500 in 1760. With these new inhabitants in all socio-economic classes came a rising demand for domestic industries in providing shelter and furnishings. It was these patrons of woodworkers, carpenters, and cabinetmakers that would dictate the styles of French Canada’s decorative arts, leaving behind beautifully carved and decorated pieces of vernacular furniture.

Top lot of the day, a French Canadian carved chestnut bombe-form commode, sold with buyer’s premium for $77,025.

August 11th, 2012 was a pristine day for an auction in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Skinner, Inc. was holding their annual August Americana sale at their newly acquired Marlborough location. A multitude of stunning pieces of American decorative arts and furnishings were up for sale, including a Dunlap-school chest, a J.W. Fiske butterfly weathervane, a carved Hadley chest, and even a one-room summerhouse. However, none was more exciting than the top grossing lot of the day, a French Canadian butternut bombe commode, hammering at $65,000 (fig. 1). This was a piece that garnered much attention from dealers and collectors alike due to its rare form, old surface, and finely executed carvings. To put it simply, this piece was astonishing.

Pair of Erastus Salisbury Field portraits, sold for $65,175.

Polychrome carved lion carousel figure, sold for almost $18,960.

J.W. Fiske copper butterfly weathervane, sold for $41,475.

This essay will consider the implications of changing aesthetics, fashions, and demographics within a developing French Canada on domestic furniture design. The bombe commode detailed above, considered a masterpiece by Canadian collectors, will be attributed to a school of carvers by examining the stylistic motifs they employed. The significance of this piece as the perfect representation of the transitional period of styles in French Canada and possibly the best example of vernacular furniture produced in Montreal warrants this further research. This analysis will be based on carved Rococo friezes and the artisans’ underlying symbolism, understanding of lines and proportion, and comparable documented examples. While it is unfortunate that construction details cannot be ascertained as the commode had been sold and transported by the time of my employment at Skinner, the aesthetic merits of this piece are strong enough and so unique that the attribution is unmistakable…

In Plain Sight: A Day at the Peabody Essex Museum

Nathaniel Gould bombe chest of drawers, Salem, c. 1770

This past Saturday I awoke to an exciting prospect. I was headed to the Peabody Essex Museum. I had been there only once before, and marveled at their collection. But this time was an instance where I could truly geek out, as I had been anticipating the exhibit “In Plain Sight.” This exhibit was a display of some of the best examples of early American furniture created in the colonies during the second half of the 18th century, all by the maker Nathaniel Gould. Gould and other prolific cabinetmakers in his day contributed greatly to the notoriety of Salem as a center of furniture-making. But one must know the history of Salem itself to understand how it came to hold such a prestigious place in Americana-lover’s hearts.

Salem is situated in Essex County, on the north shore of Massachusetts, just a half hour outside of Boston. Its location made it one of the most accessible ports in New England, fostering fishing, shipbuilding, and maritime trade industries, leading to its development throughout the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries. Merchants of Salem participated heavily in the China trade, where large fortunes would be made dealing in tea and spice. Trade with Africa, Russia, Japan, and Australia were also largely profitable. By 1790, Salem had found itself as the six largest city in the country, and the richest per capita.

Through this wealth came a need for great craftsmen. Like many wealthy families and individuals of the 18th and 19th centuries, those living in Salem wished to embellish their lives with attractive objects, objects that scream “Look at me, I can afford these lavish items.” Most of the items we see in museums are a product of this sentiment. It is this attitude that gave rise to Salem cabinetmakers and carvers Nathaniel Gould, William Hook, and Samuel McIntire, three of the most well-known craftsmen of early America.

Attributed to William Hook, Federal dressing table, c. 1820.

I could not have asked for a better way to spend a Saturday than to see an exhibit at the PEM on one of Salem’s premier cabinetmakers, Nathaniel Gould. Although Gould’s work is remarkably scarce, the exhibit displayed a pleasing variety of his offerings. Gould is most notorious for his bombe case pieces. Only a small handful of craftsmen in the country offered such a form. While this form was more common abroad, most notably in continental Europe, it was surprisingly scarce in America. Because of its rarity, these pieces garner much attention at auction, bringing hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.

By displaying the breadth of his work through his vernacular as well as bombe pieces, the PEM presents a historically accurate and holistic representation of Gould. This was a man who not only created extravagant pieces for wealthy Salem merchants, but more common slant-lid desks, chairs, and straight-front chests to meet the needs of Salem’s everday citizen. And, while the examples of bombe case furniture in the exhibit were spectacular, I found his other forms more intriguing and masterfully executed. The lack of ornamentation applied to Gould’s pieces was refreshing, highlighting his understanding of proportion and form. What little ornamentation there was, the occasional carved shell or pinwheel, accented the natural curves Gould liked to employ.

The Peabody Essex Museum’s exhibit allowed me to understand that the majority of a cabinetmaker’s body of work comprised mostly of simpler pieces. While we over-emphasize the attributes that make these craftsmen sought after in the collecting and museum fields, we must appreciate subtler forms. The majority of a craftsman’s pieces bear little resemblance to their finest examples, conceding a portion of their works to obscurity, while hiding in plain sight.