Pair Of Transition Louis XV – Louis XVI Chairs, Parisian Work, Circa 1765–1775.

An elegant pair of molded and carved beech chairs, representative of Parisian taste during the transition period between the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. The backs are in the form of a cabriolet with molded violin contours, inherited from the subdued Rococo style, while the tapered, fluted legs and the dice carved with rosettes reflect the emergence of the neoclassical vocabulary. The seat, generous and slightly curved at the front, rests on a molded belt of a half-torus, typical of this pivotal period. This model has strong stylistic similarities with the productions of Jean-Baptiste Boulard (master in 1755), notably his seats with a flat violin back, with balanced and sober lines. An unstamped but very similar model—with a molded cabriolet back, fluted tapered legs, a half-torus belt, and rosette dice—is preserved in the collections of the Mobilier national (inv. GMT-1236-001), and reproduced in Sièges en société, Paris, 2017, exhibition cat., p.142. This comparison confirms that our pair belongs to a type of refined Parisian chair in use in the 1760s–1770s. Coming from a private collection, this pair of chairs is in a beautiful state of preservation; the upholstery was redone a few years ago according to the rules of the art and covered with silk with ivory floral decoration on a pink background, evoking the decorative tastes of the Ancien Régime. Very beautiful state of preservation. Parisian work, circa 1765–1775. Dimensions: Backrest height: 85 cm Seat height: 43 cm Width: 46 cm Depth: 52 cm