Louis-alexandre Bellangé (1797–1861), Restoration-era Chair.

Louis-Alexandre BELLANGÉ (1797–1861).

Chair from the Restoration period.

Chair with a frame from the Restoration period, made of molded and carved mahogany. The backrest is particularly interesting, with a slightly sloping rectangular shape: the upper part is carved with stylized palmettes, the center features openwork with small columns, and the lower crossbar is carved with a frieze of drapery. The seat rests on four Etruscan-style legs. The seat is upholstered in a light-colored tapestry with floral motifs, as is. Signs of wear and restoration.

An identical model with ebony inlay is featured on page 62 of the book *Le Mobilier français du XIXe siècle* by Denise Ledoux-Lebard. Various chairs with similar backs were also produced in major Parisian workshops, such as those of Henri Jacob and Jean-Baptiste Demay.

Louis-Alexandre BELLANGÉ came from a prominent family of 19th-century cabinetmakers. His father was the official cabinetmaker to Napoleon I and a “certified cabinetmaker for the Crown’s Furniture Repository” under Charles X.

Louis-Alexandre took over the family business in January 1825. He won medals at the exhibitions of 1827 and 1834.

In 1834, he became “cabinetmaker to the General Directorate of the Crown’s Furniture.”

Works from his workshop are currently housed in Versailles, at the Mobilier National, and at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs…

Bibliography:

• *19th-Century French Furniture* by D. Ledoux-Lebard, Paris 1989.