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PROPERTY FROM THE JOHN HOBBS COLLECTION A PAIR OF LATE LOUIS XVI BRASS-INLAID AND ORMOLU-MOUNTED PAD

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:40,000.00 - 60,000.00 USD
PROPERTY FROM THE JOHN HOBBS COLLECTION A PAIR OF LATE LOUIS XVI BRASS-INLAID AND ORMOLU-MOUNTED PAD
property from the john hobbs collection A PAIR OF LATE LOUIS XVI BRASS-INLAID AND ORMOLU-MOUNTED PADOUK FAUTEUILS In the manner of Georges Jacob, circa 1793 Each incurved paneled crestrail above a pierced splat decorated with five enclosed palmettes, each channeled-upright headed by a palmette extending to the square armrest, supported on the body of a dolphin terminating in dogs’ heads, the padded seat upholstered ‡ chassis above square seatrails, the rear legs sabre, the front turned and tapering with brass caps and ball feet, each headed by a faceted square $40,000-60,000 The Jacob family, of which Georges (1739-1814, maÓtre in 1765) was the founder, were pre-eminent furniture makers. He was a figure of considerable importance in the history of French furniture, being the last of the 18th century menuisiers and among the first 19th century manufacturers. His work forms a bridge between the Louis XVI and Empire styles. The international reputation of his business led to commissions from Germany for the Residenz and in England for the Prince Regent and the Duke of Bedford. The present pair of chairs is of the same model as a set of ten delivered by Jacob to the salle de la Convention in 1793 and later sent to the Palais des Tuileries and the Ch‚teau de Fontainebleau, from which they were sold in 1885. The center of the paneled seatback of each chair was set with a grisaille gouache on paper (camÈe) on the subject of homage ‡ la patrie. One fauteuil still retaining its grisaille paper panel is in the collection of the MusÈe Marmottan, Paris (Hector Lefuel, Catalogue du musÈe Marmottan. Paris, 1934); another is in the collections of the Mobilier national (Denise Ledoux-Lebard, Le Mobilier Francais du XIX SiËcle. Paris, 1984, p. 285); two others were formerly in the collection of Edouard Rouart (Hector Lefuel, Georges Jacob. Paris, 1923); the fragility of these gouaches is attested to by the fact that some had apparently already been removed in 1807. Stylistically, this model of fauteuil marks the development of the mahogany chair from the Louis XVI to the Consular style. Under the influence of young artists trained in Italy and gravitating towards David, the use of Antique sources takes on an increasingly archaeological character. The Etruscan rear legs and the wide incurved backrest are drawn from the Greek klismos. The pierced palmette frieze is drawn from the decoration of red and black figure vases and was already used by Hubert Robert for the splats of the fauteuils made by Jacob for the laiterie of Marie-Antoinette at Rambouillet. Other fauteuils from this group exist in the following contexts: • one formerly in the collection of Louis Rouart (Ibid.) (Fontainebleau marks). • two formerly in the collection of the marquis de Champreux (sold Paris, June 25, 1936, no. 69) (op. cit., pp. 287-88). • two, perhaps the aforementioned, formerly Pierre DelbÈe-Jansen collection (sold Christie’s Monaco, December 10, 1999, no. 510, $133,875) (Tuileries marks, B 520 and Fontainebleau marks, 4339, F6504, F2510, F4909, 143 F5788). • two, again perhaps the Champreux pair, donated to the Ch‚teau de Fontainebleau (Ledoux-Lebard, op. cit., p. 293; Jean-Pierre Samoyault, ‡ travers les collections du Mobilier national (XVIe-XXe siËcles). Paris, 2000, no. 67, p. 97) (Fontainebleau marks). • four with Grognot and Joinel, exhibited Chefs-d’oeuvre des grands ebenistes. Ex. cat. MusÈe des Arts dÈcoratifs, Paris, February 1951, no. 79, pair repr.; sold Palais Galliera Paris, March 16, 1967, no. 107; Ledoux-Lebard, op. cit, p. 289, one ill.) (Tuileries marks, B 836). • four, perhaps the aforementioned, in a private collection (Ledoux-Lebard, op. cit, p. 285) (Tuileries marks). • four in the Mobilier national, Paris, perhaps either of the aforementioned (Leon de Groer, Les Arts dÈcoratifs de 1790 ‡ 1850. Fribourg, 1985, p. 22, no. 27; op. cit., no. 67, pp. 97, ill.) (three Fontainebleau marks; one never at Fontainebleau bought at auction in 1995). There were also at least ten chaises and one canapÈ en suite with this model of armchair. • two chaises formerly in the Grognot and Joinel collection (Chefs-d’oeuvre, nos. 79-80; sold Palais Galliera Paris, March 16, 1967, no. 106; Ledoux-Lebard, op. cit., p. 289, ill.) (Tuileries marks, B 633). • six chaises in the Mobilier national (op. cit., no. 67, p. 97, ill.). • one canapÈ in the Mobilier national (Ibid., no. 68, pp. 97-98, ill.).