A Pair Of Louis XV Armchairs By Jean-baptiste Gourdin

A superb and elegant pair of Louis XV-era armchairs stamped by Jean-Baptiste GOURDIN. Born into a family of Parisian cabinetmakers, Jean-Baptiste Gourdin was the eldest son of Jean Gourdin, known as Père Gourdin Gourdin. Unlike other 18th-century woodworkers, he was not taken on as an apprentice by a master cabinetmaker, but rather by the sculptor Toussaint Foliot, from 1736 to 1741. He subsequently worked in his father’s workshop from 1741 to 1746. Thanks to the training he received from these two masters, he was admitted to the carpenters’ guild in 1747, even though he had not yet completed his apprenticeship. Gourdin worked for a more eclectic clientele than his father’s, which included many European financiers. Among his most renowned clients were, on a fairly regular basis, the Prince of Soubise, the Duke of Rohan, and the Marquis de Bellevaux; but his most illustrious client was undoubtedly the Dauphine Marie-Antoinette when she moved to the court.
As for this pair of armchairs, they rest on a curved, molded base that is finely carved with acanthus leaves and flowers. The central front crossbar is also finely carved with floral motifs. The whip-shaped armrests, as well as the violin-shaped backrest, are likewise finely molded and carved with acanthus, flowers, and foliage. This pair of armchairs has been fully restored and is ready to be upholstered to your taste (we can also handle this for you), bearing the maker’s mark beneath the rear crossbar. A rare, high-quality piece by this cabinetmaker