Turners of the Early Modern Period in France

France

• Gabriel-Philippe de la Hire (1677-1719) – Gabriel-Philippe was the son of French mathematician and astronomer Philippe de La Hire. An architect and member of the Académie Royale des Sciences, he studied the problems of turning, formulated exercises and gave lectures that were later printed in the Academy's memoirs. His techniques and theories were included in the Encyclopédie of Didert and D'Alembert and in the later editions of Plumier's L'Art de Tourner (1749 and 1776). He great interest in geometry led to methods for precisely turn ing polyhedron.
• Bonnier de la Mosson (1702-1744) – His father Joseph Bonnier (1676-1726) was the treasurer of the purse of the States of Languedoc, possibly one of the richest men in France and when he died his fortune went to his son. Bonnier spent ten years creating a collection of thousands of objects of natural history and art. Bonnier had a magnificent rose engine of excellent construction, along with an assortment of 100 turning tools, the most complete and best condition that one could find. The rose engine had 16 circular rosettes of iron together with 16 other brass rosettes for swash work, screw-cutting capability, elliptical chuck, among many other attachments. Drawings by architect Jean-Baptiste Courtonne (1711-1781) were made of the various rooms of the collection in 1739-40. After Bonnier died in 1744, Edme-Francois Gersaint prepared a 234-page auction catalogue containing 966 lots (45 lots comprised the turning portion of the collection). The auction was held on location beginning March 8, 1745. It is this catalog, along with the Courtonne drawing, that gives us a detailed look at the lathe room. It is known that Alexis Magny (1712-1777) helped with the descriptions of the tools in the workshop. Magny worked for Bonnier as a mecanician for ten years and later went on to become famous for his microscopes. The rose engine in the cabinet sold for 1570 livres or about the same percentage of annual income a new, well-equipped Hardinge lathe would cost a college professor today. It was bought by King Adolf Friedrich of Sweden for his palace at Drottnigholm. Also in the auction were a variety of ivory turnings. View the auction catalogue
• Charles Marie de la Condamine (1701-1774) – Charles was a French explorer, geographer, and mathematician. Like Gabriel-Philippe de la Hire, he was also a member of the Académie Royale des Sciences, and is credited with having studied the problems of turning, formulated exercises and gave lectures that were later printed in the Academy's memoirs. His techniques and theories were included in the Encyclopédie of Didert and D'Alembert and in the later editions of Plumier's L'Art de Tourner (1749 and 1776). He developed a technique for the automatic engraving of patterns on flat surfaces in order to produce portrait medallions. View article on Condamine from the Academie des Sciences
• Lambert Xhrouet (1707-1781) – Born in Spa, Belgium, Xhrouet became an apprentice turner in 1722, and accomplished at the craft of ornamental turning by 1732, becoming quite well known throughout Europe over the following years. Between 1748 and 1759 he became "ambassador of Spa" among European courts: During this time, he was known to have given lessons in Vienna for Emperor Francis I; assisted the Duke Charles of Lorraine in Brussels on a couple of occassions; and appointed turner for Louis XVI of France, Duc d'Orléans (Paris), and the Queen of France at Versailles. In 1760, Xhrouet returned to Spa to receive the honor of city mayor and adviser. A hollow ivory sphere turned by Xhrouet in 1746 survives in Munich. He was also a master of creating incredibly detailed miniature objects.
• King Louis XV of France (1710-1774) – Louis XV was known to be a skillful turner. The ivory casing of a pendulum clock he worked is preserved in the Palace of Versailes.
• King Louis XVI of France (1754-1793) – A series of rose engines belonging to Louis XVI still exists. One dated between 1760-70 is currently in a museum collecton in Birmingham, London. Another made by I.T. Mercklein in 1780 is now in Paris, France.
• François Barreau (1731–1814) – French contemporaries considered Barreau to be the best ivory turner of the time, praising his intricate ivory forms. He spent most of his life in the town of Avignon and did not gain notoriety until he was nearly seventy years old. In 1794, he wrote to the newly established Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers (Conservatory of Arts and Crafts) offering his work for their collection. They purchased thirteen objects for the large sum of 3000 francs and this led to his widespread recognition. Inspired by this, Barreau moved to Paris in 1799 and installed himself at the Conservatoire where he worked in secret, careful not to share the techniques for producing his delicate objects with other craftsmen. His final work, which he called a Kiosk, was a complex ivory tower produced for Napoleon I at a price of 2000 francs. Other sphere-in-sphere and intricate ivory turnings survive in museums, some at Le Musee des arts et Métiers in Paris, France, and at least one at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, CA.

Sources for information in this section