27 December 2012

La colère de Roubo

Roubo's anger.  That's Winter Sales #3  started in May I think.

Having acquired a copy of the original Le Menuisier en Meubles from Roubo and more importantly having started to read the book,  I difcovered first the s and f confufion and to a leffer degree the long phrafes,  but most importantly his dislike of the furniture makers.


What you see is the first sentence (it's readable) of an interesting footnote taking most of page 601.  His opinion about carvers is similar: ..., ces sortes de sculpteur étant pour l'ordinaire de fort mauvais Ouvriers dans leur talent, & pour la plupart sans dessin, ne travaillant que par routine, ... translates to: ... this kind of carvers are mostly workmen of poor talent, & most of them clumsy, working only by routine .... & merde had I known that I would not have bought that book. 

Furniture makers are distinct from ébénistes who use precious woods like ebony and do all things veneering.  Where furniture makers do frame-and-panel structures and even lesser frame only structures. Those are covered with fabrics or carved by other trades.


He gives himself different reasons for his dislike.
Industrialization as furniture makers are specialized in making specific frame or frame-and-panel structure based on templates, where most artisans are unable to design anything. They also work together with other trades loosing the ownership of there products as the end product is sold mostly cheap by merchants, making these their only custommers.
Industrialization and fashion.  Fashion makes that good furniture is thrown away and that the furniture makers forget all but the current fashion.
Industrialization, fashion and stubbornness.  Stubbornness of the furniture makers who uses only a limited number of techniques mainly sawing with precision - their sole expertise,  using a rasp when needed and avoiding planes whenever possible. Leaving gouges and profile planes mainly to the carvers whom will never work on assembled furniture and make poor transitions over the joints.

So?  If I am looking for a career, forget about the furniture maker trade, I better go for finish carpenter or carriage maker.