The exact time of the emergence of the chevalet is unknown, as the guild kept it a closely held secret for many years.
These styles can be divided into three basic methods: Boulle, named for the great master Andre Charles Boulle; painting in wood, a style designed to imitate the painting styles of the day and to conserve the valuable and exotic veneers; and piece by piece, a revolutionary technique that was enabled by the development of the chevalet de marqueterie by the guild of ebenistes in Paris. The exact time of the emergence of the chevalet is unknown, as the guild kept it a closely held secret for many years.