French 18th Century Louis XVI Painted Wood Armchair By George Jacob

A Louis XVI period armchair or fauteuil "en cabriolet' made ca. 1775-1779 showing the stamp of Georges Jacob (1739-1814). The carved paintwood fauteuil with round and slightly curved padded back and seat within a moulded French Grey paintwood frame showing a beautiful original patina, on fluted tapering legs. The armrests with scroll ends and partial upholstery. The armchair or fauteuil upholstered in the French tradition with an elegant linen fabric copying a Louis XVI silk jacquard with a traditional colorful ribbon&flower ornament on a vivid blue ground. You may also find a matching pair of fauteuils originating from the same ameublement by Georges Jacob in our 1stdibs portfolio.
Georges Jacob was one of the most prominent Parisian chair-makers who became a maître-ebéniste in 1765. He worked for the French royalty and high nobility, e.g. for Mari-Antoinette at Versailles and especially for Monsieur, the brother of the king, who became his best client. In 1791, the guild system was abolished and Jacob diversified his workshop to include cabinet-making and mounted bronzes. The Revolution nevertheless placed him in a difficult position. Many of his customers emigrated and did not pay their debts. In 1796, he finally went bankrupt and passed on his workshop to his two sons, Georges Jacob Fils and François-Honoré who created the company Jacob Frères Rue Meslée, which was active during the Directoire and the Consulate. The works of Jacob are exhibited in the most important international museums and collections such as the Chateaus of Chantilly and Fontainebleau, The Louvre and Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, the Wallace Collection in London, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the New York Metropolitan Museum, to name a few.
Literature about Georges Jacob: Pierre Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Francais du XVIIIe Siècle, p. 451-472.