Etruscan Armchair From The Consulate-empire Period, Stamped "chapuis." Late 18th Century.

This exceptional chair is the work of the Brussels master cabinetmaker Jean-Joseph Chapuis (1765–1864). It belongs to the so-called “Etruscan style” (or Neoclassical), inspired by the forms of the klismos and the ancient curule chair depicted on black- and red-figure Greek pottery found in Italian necropolises.
The legs, forming a double curved arch in an inverted U-shape, represent a true feat of cabinetmaking for the time. To achieve these fluid curves without weakening the wood, Chapuis layered and steam-bent several thin strips of wood, anticipating the bending techniques later developed by Thonet.
The armrests, with their pronounced concavity and crafted using the same process as the legs, merge with the backrest in a single fluid motion. They rest at the front on delicate baluster columns topped with small finial balls.
The frame retains its original dark green/black patina, imitating weathered bronze, enhanced by subtle raised details and gilding. The curved backrest is adorned with a painted design inspired by Greco-Roman motifs (acanthus scrolls, two sphinxes encircling a central antique basin).
The square seat, with softened corners, is painted with a gold border and retains its original fine-mesh cane work.
Stamped “CHAPUIS” on the underside of the seat.
Circa: 1795–1800.

​Trained in Paris, where he earned his master’s certificate before establishing his workshop in Brussels, Jean-Joseph Chapuis was one of the leading cabinetmakers of the Napoleonic period.
The pioneering quality of these designs, including this iconic chair, earned Chapuis major commissions. Shortly after 1806, Napoleon commissioned a set of identical chairs to refurnish the Royal Castle of Laeken near Brussels.
Identical examples of this chair are now held in major international institutions, notably at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA, Inv. 96.1.1) and the Carnegie Museum of Art.

A pair of identical armchairs by Jean-Joseph Chapuis is referenced in: *Les Ebénistes Du XIX Siècle*,Denise Ledoux-Lebard, Paris 1965, page 120.

Four identical armchairs were sold: Ader-Picard-Tajan, Palais d’Orsay, Paris, December 5, 1979, lot 49.
An identical pair of armchairs signed Chapuis was sold: Sotheby’s, New York, June 6, 1981, lot 298.
An identical armchair, attributed to Jean-François Chapuis, was sold: Sotheby’s, Paris, October 30, 2018, lot 338.
Another identical armchair was sold at Sotheby’s Paris on June 28, 2023, lot 457.

In excellent condition, perfectly stable.

Dimensions:
Height 86 cm
Width 56 cm
Seat depth 44 cm

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