Louis XVI Period Shepherdess Stamped By Claude I Sené

Bergère à la Reine, Louis XVI period Stamp of Claude I Sené (1724-1792) Paris, circa 1770-1780 Carved and painted beech wood, old upholstery (restored) This elegant "bergère à la reine" is distinguished by its basket-handle backrest, adorned around its perimeter with a delicate decoration of twisted ribbons, typical of the neoclassical ornamental vocabulary. The wide and deep seat, accompanied by armrests trimmed with cuffs, illustrates the search for increased comfort in the 18th century. The seat rests on four tapered legs, fluted and rudenté at the front, while the crosspieces have a refined decoration of heart stripes, a motif borrowed from Antiquity. The stamp on the lower crossbar links this piece to the master carpenter Claude I Sené, who became a master in 1743. A member of an important dynasty of Parisian artisans, he was one of the main suppliers to the Crown and worked in particular for Marie-Antoinette's apartments at Versailles and Saint-Cloud. His seats, of refined execution and exemplary comfort, are among the most representative of Louis XVI furniture. With its elegant sobriety, the quality of its sculpture and the harmony of its proportions, this bergère perfectly illustrates the French neoclassical aesthetic: straight lines, balance and measured ornamentation, breaking with the rocaille forms of the Louis XV style. Seat ready to be upholstered, the price includes the installation of the fabric (fabric at an additional cost).