BY FRANCOIS LINKE, PARIS, CIRCA 1900

Franois Linke (d. 1946), awarded the gold medal for his Grand Bureau at the 1900 paris Exposition Universelle, was the most celebrated bniste of his time. Born in Bohemia in 1885, he moved to Paris in 1881. He produced furniture of the highest quality at his workshop at 170, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, and established showrooms at 26, Place Vendme. His work often interpreted the styles predominant during the Ancien Rgime, however he designed and manufactured furniture that set him apart from his competitors, both in terms of quality and design, as he had a spirit that captured the Louis XV style though retaining his highly individual approach.