MEISSONIER, JUSTE-AURLE

born 1693/95, Turin, Savoy died July 31, 1750, Paris French goldsmith, interior decorator, and architect, often considered the leading originator of the influential, though short-lived, Rococo style in the decorative arts. Early in his career Meissonier migrated to Paris, receiving his warrant as master goldsmith from King Louis XV in 1724 and his appointment as designer for the King's bedchamber and cabinet in 1726. He had a powerful and fertile imagination; his fantastic grottoes and swirling, animated, asymmetrical metalwork designs combined contrasting and original motifs. As a goldsmith, he was remarkable for the boldness of his conceptions for such objects as snuffboxes, watch cases, sword hilts, and tureens. He prepared three fine sets of sketches for interior decoration, furniture, and goldsmith designs. He also developed a plan for the facade of the church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in 1726, but few of his architectural ideas were realized.