André Charles Boulle André-Charles Boulle was born on the 11th November 1642 in the Duchy of Guelders, in the Low Countries (the northwestern part of Europe including the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg). He was considered a skilled and master craftsman before the age of 30 and even granted lodgings in the galleries of the Louvre which the French King Henri IV had kept available for his most favoured artists. In England, Boulle was most famous for perfecting the rich marquetry process or inlay which came to be known as Boulle work - a hallmark of William and Mary style. Boulle appears to have started out as a painter before turning his hand to cabinet-making. In 1699, he received a first payment from the French Crown and for many years was employed at the Palace of Versailles, where he created his most remarkable works. Many royal commissions were received by Boulle from all around Europe. Despite his success (evidenced by the facility with which he found work, the high prices his pieces fetched, and his workshops full of highly skilled craftsmen), Boulle appears to have constantly lacked for money. He did not always pay his workmen, and clients who had made considerable advances failed to obtain the fine pieces they had ordered from him. In fact, more than one application was made for permission to arrest him for debt, under orders of the courts, despite the sanctuary of the Louvre. In 1704, the French king granted Boulle six months’ protection from his creditors on condition that he use the time to regulate his affairs or ce sera la dernière grace que sa majesté lui fera là-dessus (‘This would be the last grace his majesty gave him on this subject’). According to Boulle’s friend Pierre-Jean Mariette, many of his financial difficulties were caused by his passion for collecting pictures, engravings, and other objets d’art. Indeed, Mariette said that to Boulle, collecting was a mania that was impossible to cure. In 1720, Boulle's finances were thrown into further disarray by a fire that spread, from its origin in another atelier, to his workshop (one of three he maintained) in the Place du Louvre. In total, 20 workbenches were destroyed, along with tools belonging to 18 ébénistes (cabinet-makers) and two menuisiers (joiners). Most of the workshop's seasoned materials, appliances, models, and finished works were lost to the flames. The salvage was sold, and a petition for financial aid was sent to the Regent. Whether or not help was given is unclear, as no evidence of financial assistance appears in the surviving documents. The inventory of Boulle’s losses in the fire, the cost of which exceeded 40,000 livres, enumerates many old masters, including 48 drawings by Raphael, wax models by Michelangelo, and the manuscript journal kept by Rubens in Italy. Boulle attended every sale of drawings and engravings. Apparently, he borrowed at high interest to pay for his purchases, and when the next sale took place, fresh expedients were devised for obtaining more money. Boulle died in 1732, still famous, but mired in debt.
