A PAIR OF LATE LOUIS XVI BIBLIOTHÈQUES BASSE POSSIBLY BY JOSEPH CANABAS

June 11 2009, 5:18pm

French. Circa 1790. This imposing pair of bibliothèques basse has a “teutonic severity” that is characteristic of the late Louis XVI period. The ébéniste who brought the minimalist style to its apogee was Joseph Canabas (1712-1766). Canabas was born in Germany and is thought to have commenced his apprenticeship in his father’s workshop in Alsace, and it is known he had moved to Paris by 1745. Upon receiving his “lettre de maitrise” Canabas established himself in rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, where he became actively engaged in supplying a private clientele as well as a number of established dealers such as Bonnemain le Jeune or Frères Presle. The present bibliothèques, with their minimalist design and use of solid mahogany, are typical for Canabas. Canabas' work is represented in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Lyon, the Nissim-de-Camondo Museum in Paris, Waddesdon Manor, and the Cleveland Museum of Art.