Louis XVI Armchair, Antoine Gaillard Workshop (1780-1790)

Beautifully restored oak medallion armchair from the late 18th-century Parisian Gaillard workshop. Antoine Gaillard earned his master's degree in cabinetmaking on September 19, 1781, and set up shop on Rue Saint-Nicolas in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. Around the same time, he received his first commission from the Duke of La Rochefoucauld (1743-1792) for four cabriolet armchairs to furnish the Château de La Roche-Guyon. During Napoleon's reign, the workshop completed several commissions for the Garde-Meuble Impérial, responsible for furnishing the imperial palaces. In 1811, for example, Gaillard was commissioned to make several armchairs to furnish the rooms of Empress Marie-Louise's ladies-in-waiting at the Tuileries Palace. The medallion armchair took off during the reign of Louis XVI (1774-1792) and takes its name from the medallion shape of the backrest. This type of armchair also remained very popular under the Directoire (1795-1804) and the Empire (1804-1815). The classical, symmetrical design of the furniture is characteristic of the refinement and elegance of Neoclassicism. The design of this chair, with its typical fluting and rosettes, remains particularly popular to this day. Condition: This armchair has been restored with attention to detail, leaving it in near-perfect condition.