ATTRIBUTED TO VICTOR RAULIN, PARIS, THIRD QUARTER 19TH CENTURY

In 1878, Victor Raulin succeeded to his father's business, established initially at rue de Turenne and from 1882 in the Boulevard Saint-Germain, specialising in marquetry and lacquer furniture in the 18th century taste. Two years earlier the firm had been authorised by the Ministry of Public Works to reproduce furniture and bronzes from a number of national palaces, showing that although Raulin is renowned as a fabricant de meubles the firm also produced and probably retailed elaborate gilt-bronze objéts d’art including garniture de cheminées. In 1887, the Révue des Arts Décoratifs described M. Raulin as, 'aussi habile ébéniste que bon fabricant de bronzes’. The firm had exhibited 'des bras Louis XVI à deux lumières, d’aprés Forty, qui pourraient avec success soutenir la comparaison avec des Riesener’ (V. Champier, tome VIII, p. 274). The gilt-bronze mounts applied to the firm's furniture was also commented on for their lightness and grace, and compared favourably to gilt-bronze mounts of the Louis XV period. At this exhibition the jury presented M. Raulin with a médaille d’argent.