Suite Of Four Cabriolet Armchairs, Louis XVI Period, Stamped Sulpice Brizard

Suite of Four Cabriolet Armchairs, Louis XVI Period, Stamped Sulpice Brizard

Description:

A rare suite of four cabriolet armchairs in carved and lacquered beech, the arched back with a molded bow-shaped cresting descending to scrolled armrests supported by curved, volute-scrolled consoles. The seat rail, carved with a row of overlapping disks (piastres), rests on four tapering, fluted and reeded legs, each ringed at the top. Both the loose seat cushion and the backrest are dressed in an ivory figured silk strewn with polychrome floral baskets and garlands (blue, lilac, yellow), edged with a twisted cord trim.

Armchairs bears, beneath the front seat rail, the stamp of Sulpice Brizard, one of the most celebrated chair-makers of the reign of Louis XVI. The restrained, curving lines, the rigor of the fluting, the quality of the carved armrests and seat rail, and the survival of the full suite of four — a rare occurrence on the market — attest to the care this well-regarded Parisian workshop brought to furniture intended for a demanding clientele.

Technique:

Carved and lacquered beech (parcel-highlighted). Stamped "S. BRIZARD" beneath the front seat rail on each of the four armchairs. Upholstered in a figured silk with a floral basket motif.

Dimensions:

Height: 35 13/16 in (91 cm)

Width: 23 1/4 in (59 cm)

Condition:

Overall good condition, with an attractive aged patina to the old lacquer; minor, localized losses and wear that do not affect the legibility of the carving. Sound overall stability across all four chairs.

Biography:

Sulpice Brizard (1733 – after 1796) established himself as a menuisier in Paris, on rue de Cléry, where he was received master on February 13, 1762. Active throughout the reign of Louis XVI, he ranks among the most sought-after chair-makers of his day, alongside Louis Delanois and Jean-Baptiste-Bernard Lelarge, prized for the purity of his lines and the refinement of his carving — tapering, cleanly fluted legs, scrolled volute armrest consoles, and seat rails carved with classical motifs. His "S. BRIZARD" stamp appears on seat furniture held in major public and private collections.

Collections:

A suite of four cabriolet armchairs stamped Sulpice Brizard, from the collection of Count Isaac de Camondo (bequeathed 1911), is held at the Musée du Louvre (inv. OA 6549-6552). A pair of bergères by his hand is likewise held in the collections of the Musée Carnavalet, Paris.