A chronological résumé of furniture by Boulle no longer in France, with a focus on the United Kingdom

Abstract

The furniture of André-Charles Boulle is often inextricably linked to the court of Louis XIV and Versailles. Yet this would appear to be something of a mischaracterisation, for only a small percentage of pieces of furniture attributed to Boulle were made for Versailles (and even then, for the Grand Trianon or the Ménagerie rather than the main palace). Indeed, what is surprising for objects so often characterised as the nec plus ultra of French craftsmanship is how internationally travelled they are, and how often their first non-French residence was England.