André-Charles Boulle was master cabinetmaker to King Louis XIV. His work, of an imposing and majestic nature, was one of those which most identified with the monarch’s personality. The most striking feature of his production is the marquetry work in tortoiseshell and brass. Although Boulle did not invent this technique, it was he who developed it, fully exploiting its potential.

These wardrobes, with their straight and austere lines and characterised by their great symmetry, are also decorated with imposing gilt bronze, featuring mythological scenes inspired by Ovid’s literary work, Metamorphoses. The central panels on the doors depict scenes from the life of Apollo, the right featuring Apollo and Marsyas, and the left Apollo and Daphne, both portrayed with remarkable artistic skill.

There are several wardrobes of this type attributed to Boulle, the ones in the Wallace Collection being the most similar to those seen in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum’s collection.