Tombeau chest of drawers, Louis XV style; Spain, first half of the 20th century

Tombeau commode, Louis XV style; Spain, first half of the 20th century.
Wood and bronze mouldings.
Measurements: 82 x 105 x 45 cm
Chest of drawers made of wood combines a still domed, typically rococo elevation, with a compartmentalisation of the structure and marquetry that is already clearly neoclassical. The drawers are now clearly differentiated from each other, with wide shelves, and their fronts are divided by geometric recesses that emphasise the harmonious relationship between the different parts and the whole, following a criterion typical of classical languages that represents a radical difference with respect to rococo, which tended to visually unify the structure, to hide it, through decoration. However, the bronzes are still rococo, based on floral elements worked with a naturalistic, fluid and organic language. Likewise, the piece of furniture maintains the profile of the rococo cabriole leg. The bronzes that adorn these corners are almost entirely rococo. Another significant element is the arched floor plan, which, although it retains the rococo sinuosity and even has mitres at the corners, is a typical solution of the transitional language, since it is a form directly borrowed from baroque and Regency models. In fact, French artists turned their gaze to the Regency style (transition between Baroque and Rococo) in search of solutions to move from an anti-classical language to an anti-Classical style.