Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier

Juste-Aurèle Meissonier (1695 – 31 July 1750) was a French goldsmith, sculptor, painter, architect, and furniture designer.

He shared, and perhaps distanced, the meretricious triumphs of Oppenord and Germain, since he dealt with the Rococo in its most daring and flamboyant developments.

[1] Rarely did he leave a foot or two of undecorated space; Meissonier carried the style of his day to its extreme and thus achieved great popularity.

Like the Scottish brothers Adam at a later day he not only as an architect built houses but as a painter and decorator, covered their internal walls; he designed the furniture and the candlesticks, the silver and the decanters for the table; he was as ready to produce a snuff-box as a watch case or a sword hilt.

[1] For our knowledge of his work we are considerably indebted to his own books of design: Livres d'ornements en trente pièces and Ornements de la carte chronologique.