Weisweiler, Rémond and Daguerre

This drop-front secrétaire stands as a paradigmatic example of the creative synergy that defined the highest level of Parisian furniture production in the final years of the Ancien Régime. Conceived around 1790–1795, it brings together three major protagonists of late 18th-century luxury: the ébéniste Adam Weisweiler, the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre, and the bronzier François Rémond. Such collaborations were not incidental but formed the very foundation of innovation in French decorative arts at a moment when exceptional materials, refined forms and intellectual ambition converged.



Adam Weisweiler was among the most inventive cabinetmakers of his generation, particularly when working under the direction of marchand-merciers. His talent lay in his ability to design architecturally rigorous yet elegant forms capable of accommodating rare and heterogeneous materials. Dominique Daguerre, one of the most influential dealers of his time, acted as artistic director and catalyst. He supplied precious components—Japanese lacquer panels, hardstones, porcelains—and coordinated the work of elite craftsmen, ensuring stylistic coherence and technical excellence. François Rémond, one of the leading bronziers of the period, contributed finely chased and gilt bronzes whose sculptural clarity and precision reflect the neoclassical idiom disseminated by artists such as Louis-Simon Boizot. The present secrétaire belongs unmistakably to this network, in which design, execution and commerce were inseparable.

This type of furniture belongs to a small and highly selective corpus of works produced by Weisweiler for Daguerre, comparable to secretaries now preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Rijksmuseum and the Royal Collections of Sweden. These comparisons confirm the existence of a coherent model, conceived for an elite clientele and repeatedly refined through exceptional commissions. The integration of lacquer, gilt bronze and symbolic ornament places these works at the summit of late Louis XVI decorative arts.



Central to the prestige of this piece is the use of Japanese lacquer, one of the most coveted materials in 18th-century Europe. Imported through complex trade routes and available only in limited quantities, lacquer from Japan embodied the idea of absolute luxury. Its deep, lustrous surface and pictorial landscapes offered a striking contrast to European veneers and marquetry. In the hands of Parisian marchands-merciers, such panels were no longer treated as exotic curiosities but as integral elements of sophisticated neoclassical compositions. Here, the lacquer is framed and articulated by ormolu mounts and precious veneers, transforming the secrétaire into a synthesis of global materials and Parisian taste.



Rothschild taste

The later provenance of this secrétaire further reinforces its importance. Formerly part of the collection of Baron Alphonse de Rothschild, it was housed in the Hôtel Saint-Florentin in Paris, one of the most celebrated interiors of the 19th century. Within the Rothschild Collections, furniture of the Ancien Régime was valued not only for its technical brilliance but also for its historical resonance and intellectual pedigree. The presence of this secrétaire alongside masterpieces by Riesener, Carlin and Delanois situates it firmly within the canon of what has come to be known as the “grand goût Rothschild”.



As such, this secrétaire embodies a convergence of artistic excellence, rare materials and distinguished collecting history. It illustrates how the collaboration between Weisweiler, Daguerre and Rémond gave rise to some of the most refined furniture of their time, and how these creations continued to be recognized, preserved and celebrated by some of the most discerning collectors of the modern era.