PETIT. 1732-91; MASTER 1761; MARCHAND-EBENISTE

Nicolas Petit started as an ebeniste and furni­ture-seller in the rue du Faubourg-Saint – Antoine in an establishment called Vu Norn de Jesus’. In 1758 he married Marie-Magdeieine Dig – noir who died in 1765. The inventory taken after her death descrites 8 work-benches, denoting an import – ant activity, but with few pieces of furniture in stock: ‘2 carcases of toilet-tables. 1 clock-case. 2 carcases of secretaires en armoire. 1 night-table. 5 tables ‘migno­nettes’. 1 encoignure veneered with tulipwood. 1 toi­let-table. This scarcity, along with the absence of private clients mentioned, confirms that the output of the workshop was purchased immediately by dealers or fellow ebenistes. Petit produced many cases for long-case clocks, mostly for the clock-maker Lepaute. who owned him 31.115L in 1782. but also for Lepine. In the last part of his career he concentrated on his ac­tivities as dealer (marchand-ebeniste). The inventory taken after his death in 1791 describes a large stock of furniture – almost 400 pieces – and mentions import­ant private clients, such as the Due d’Orleans (3.405L). the IXic de Bouillon (839L), the Princesse de Hesse, the Comte de Vergemont, M. Randon de Lucernay. M. deSartine. M. de Saint Julien. theCom – tesse de Schacookoy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

F. de Salverte: Les Ebenistes. pp. 251-52

Patricia Lemonnier: ‘Nicolas Petit’. L’Estampille, January

1990

I325J Long-case clock stamped N. Petit, с. 1770, in tulipwood, movement by Ixpaute. The sunflower was modelled by the sculpteur Cauvet. (Galerie Fabre, Paris)

Rene

Updated: October 9, 2015 — 8:08 am