Description
This delightful pair of armchairs, made from beautiful walnut, perfectly matches the style that heralds the 17th century. This model of armchair appeared during the first half of the 17th century and marked a true revolution in French seating, notably heralding the birth of the armchair. In addition, the squares disappeared in favor of fixed upholstery, padded with horsehair.
Its low seat rests on a base composed of four legs connected by an H-shaped stretcher and a front crossbar. The silhouette is enlivened by remarkable woodturning craftsmanship: the base, stretcher, crossbar, and armrests are all twisted in spirals.
This pair of walnut armchairs features a seat and backrest upholstered in leather, adorned with evenly spaced decorative nailheads.
The wide rectangular backrest tilts slightly backwards.
The vividly twisted armrests terminate in leafy ends adorned with finely carved acanthus motifs.
The consistent quality of the turning, along with the evident skill required to execute such intricate spirals, makes this pair of armchairs particularly noteworthy. They exemplify French craftsmanship from the late 16th to early 17th centuries.
This style of work likely remained in vogue through the end of the century, with such chairs furnishing private apartments and grand bourgeois residences.
Biography :
Guillaume Jeanneau, Les Sièges, édition Vincent Fréal & Cie, Paris, 1967