MASTER 1773
Born around 1735. Topino worked for a long time as an independent craftsman before being received master in 1773. Settled in the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, he specialized in pieces of light furniture, small tables, bonheurs-du-jour and chiffonnieres. and perfected a type of bonheur-du- jour of oval form for which he seems to have had the monopoly. The marquetry decoration which is the chief attraction of these pieces consists of two types: — Still-lifes with teapots, vases and various utensils in chinoiserie taste, derived from motifs on Coromandel lacquer screens. These would seem to have l>een very fashionable between 1770 and 1775.
— Garlands and bouquets of flowers highlighted on a ground of pale wood, citronnier or yellow-stained maplewood, found on furniture between 1775 and 1780.
Among his clientele he counted members of the French aristocracy, but above all his colleagues the marchands-ebenistes Hericourt, Dautriche. Migeon. Denizot. Moreau. Delorme. Tuart and Boudin. For the latter he made light tables in lacquer or marquetry and bonheurs-du-jour. Topino’s day-book preserved in the Archives de la Seine contains orders from all these marchands-ebenistes. and makes clear that Topino sold marquetry panels to his colleagues. Topino also worked for Joubert. The description of a
/3611 Secretaire a abattant stamped Topino. с. 1780; the floral marquetry stands out on a ground of stippled light-coloured wood. tChristie’s London, 3July 1986, lot 1171
small bonheur-du-jour delivered by the latter in June 1774 gives the unmistakable impression of a piece of furniture by Topino (see Appendix).
The gilt-bronze mounts with which Topino embellished his furniture were cast by Viret. chased by Chamboin and Dubuisson, and gilded by Becard, Gerard and Vallet.
In 1782 Topino was elected deputy of his guild, a measure of the esteem in which he was held. Nevertheless. his finances were, according to Salverte, in the greatest disorder, a chronic state of affairs exacerbated by the Revolution, so that in December 1789 he was declared bankrupt.
APPENDIX
Journal dii (iardc-Nlcublc Royal (Arch. Nat. o’.U19). delivery by Joubert on 1 June 1771: No. 27M: For the use of M. le (’.omte d’Artois at die (’.bateau de ( ’.ompiegne A small jewel secretaire in tuli|>wood decorated with Isaskct – of flowers, fruits and Іеа-сіцл in the (Chinese style, all in mar<|uetiy. on l>oth skies over the table a small door with a key. with a drawer inskle. Between the two doors is a third drawer; at the front there is a slide covered in blue moire boniered with narrow silver braid, with a 13631 (right) Commode in ІиІірихянІ stamped Topino, of a type which he repeated several times. I Archives Calerie Fabre, Parisl
compartment on the right for an inkwell, powder-box and sponge container in silvered brass The secretaire is cmlx-llishcd above ami below with a balustrade in (Classical C Jrcek style an<l other ornaments in chased ami richly – gilt bronze. Length 24 polices. Depth; 15 pooces Height 3 pteds 2 pooces
13641 Ox-low left) Oval bonheur-du-jour stamped Topino, с. 1775, with marquetry of teapots and ware of Chinese taste. ISotheby’s London. 23 June 19851 (3651 (below right) Bonheur – du-jour attributed to Topino, c. 1775, the marquetry with ivises and other ware of Chinese taste, on a tulipuvod ground. iSotheby’s Monaco, 26 May 1980, kt 6971
Pierre
