Lot Essay
WITH THEIR DELICATE FOLIATE AND ROCKWORK CARVING AND ELEGANT UNDULATING FRAMES, THESE MAHOGANY FAUTEUILS à LA REINE ARE AMONG THE RARE EXAMPLES OF DUCTH ROCOCO SEAT-FURNITURE TO TRULY CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF THE FRENCH LOUIS XV STYLE. THEY DEMONSTRATE THE REACTION ON THE SIDE OF DUTCH CHAIR-MAKERS TO THE LARGE QUANTITIES OF FRENCH CHAIRS WHICH WERE IMPORTED TO THE NETHERLANDS IN THE 18TH CENTURY. AS A RESULT, THESE FURNITURE-MAKERS IMITATED THE SOUGHT-AFTER FRENCH MODELS AND, ADDITIONALLY, CALLED THEMSELVES 'FRENCH' CHAIR-MAKERS. THE FIRST TO DO SO WAS PROBABLY JAN EMANS, WHO DESCRIBED HIMSELF AS SUCH IN AN ADVERTISEMENT IN THE AMSTERDAMSE COURANT OF 9 MAY 1737. (R.J. BAARSEN, 'FRENCH FURNITURE IN AMSTERDAM IN 1771', FURNITURE HISTORY 29(1993), P. 168 AND NOTE 24)
THE PRESENT FAUTEUILS ARE RELATED TO THE SLIGHTLY LARGER GILTWOOD STADHOUDERSSTOELEN OR 'STADHOLDER'S CHAIRS', WHICH WERE PROBABLY EXECUTED ON THE OCCASION OF THE VISIT OF STADHOLDER PRINCE WILLEM V AND HIS CONSORT, PRINCESS WILHELMINA OF PRUSSIA TO THE CITY OF AMSTERDAM IN 1768. (TH.H. LUNSINGH SCHEURLEER, 'DE STOEL VAN DEN STADHOUDER', OUD HOLLAND 63(1948), PP. 200-201)
SEE ILLUSTRATION
THE PRESENT FAUTEUILS ARE RELATED TO THE SLIGHTLY LARGER GILTWOOD STADHOUDERSSTOELEN OR 'STADHOLDER'S CHAIRS', WHICH WERE PROBABLY EXECUTED ON THE OCCASION OF THE VISIT OF STADHOLDER PRINCE WILLEM V AND HIS CONSORT, PRINCESS WILHELMINA OF PRUSSIA TO THE CITY OF AMSTERDAM IN 1768. (TH.H. LUNSINGH SCHEURLEER, 'DE STOEL VAN DEN STADHOUDER', OUD HOLLAND 63(1948), PP. 200-201)
SEE ILLUSTRATION