Risamburgh, van family

Extract

French family of cabinetmakers of Dutch origin. Bernard van Risamburgh (i) (b Groningen, c. 1660; d Paris, 2 Jan 1738) was active in Paris before 1694. The rediscovery of his work makes an important contribution to the analysis of the furniture of the period, providing a striking illustration of the transition from the Baroque to the Louis XV style. Risamburgh used tortoiseshell and brass marquetry in a manner quite different from that of André Charles Boulle. He often collaborated with the Bérain and the Slodtz families. Extant examples of his work include desks (Windsor Castle, Berks, Royal Col.) for the Duchesse de Retz and for the Elector of Bavaria (Paris, Louvre), and a commode (ex-Comte de la Panouse col., Thoiry) for Machault d’Arnouville. His final work was a clock decorated with hinds (London, Wallace) on which Jean-Pierre Latz based one of his clocks (Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg).

Bernard’s son ...