Un « trésor national » entre au Louvre
The Musée du Louvre has quietly acquired and installed a major masterpiece of French decorative arts: a commode adorned with Sèvres porcelain plaques by the renowned cabinetmaker Bernard II van Risen Burgh (BVRB). Formerly part of the prestigious Rothschild family collections, the piece was classified as a "national treasure" by the French government in 2023. Although the museum originally planned a public fundraising campaign to finance the acquisition, the initiative was canceled following a high-profile burglary at the museum in October 2025.
This acquisition is significant as it secures a "quasi-unicum" prototype for the national collections, representing a pinnacle of 18th-century French craftsmanship and the history of taste. The piece serves as a vital companion to another BVRB commode already held by the Louvre, consolidating the museum's status as the premier repository for royal-quality furniture. Its transition from private hands to public display ensures that a work rarely seen by the public since the 1970s remains permanently accessible within France.