The beds of mesangere
MEsangere and his design catalogs
Pierre Joseph Antoine Leboux de La Mésangère published a series of influential furniture and drapery designs titled Meubles and Objets de Gout (issued in catalog supplements from 1797 to 1831). As I mentioned in the discussion of the "Attribution of a Chair", while many of these designs were original, some were clearly copied from furniture he saw in Paris or via other published sources.
I began collecting these furniture plates twenty years ago. It was a challenge; books of plates were often quite expensive as "breakers" buy sets to resell as individual prints. As my collection grew, I considered publishing it in book form. My idea may now have been overtaken by events - The Getty Research Institute has published a sample 258 plates at Archive.org. Here is the link:
Of all his designs, his beds are my favorite. While I am a collector of chairs, beds are my real passion. Sadly, as a wise dealer once told me, ever house has room for another chair, but another bed is a hard sale.
Here are a few examples of the best beds from Objets de Gout.
