Jean-Henri Riesener
Furniture by one of the greatest cabinet-makers of the eighteenth century
Riesener at the Wallace Collection
In the mid-nineteenth century, the 4th Marquess of Hertford took a connoisseurial interest in Riesener’s furniture and was particularly attracted to its lavish gilt-bronze mounts. He claimed not to be interested in provenance, but his excellent eye and deep pockets meant that he bought several important royal pieces. Some of these had been altered to suit later tastes after they had left the French royal collection.
His furniture now forms part of the Wallace Collection.
