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Lot Essay
Jean-Baptiste I Tilliard, maître in 1717.
Tilliard established his workshop in the Rue du Cléry where he worked until his death in 1766 when he was succeeded by his son Jean-Baptiste II. One of the most talented chair-makers of the period, he supplied the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne from 1730 and between 1737 and 1739 the 'new' seat furniture for Versailles. Among his other clients were Charles de Rohan, Prince de Soubise and the marquise de Pompadour.
The design of these chaises à la Reine owe much to the oeuvre of Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier, one of the pre-eminent designers of the Rococo period. This is particularly apparent in the design for a chair seen in a drawing for a doorway for the Baronness de Bezenval, wife of the Ambassador to the Polish court from 1719 to 1721, which was engraved by Huquier and illustrated in D. Nyberg, L'Oeuvre de Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier, New York, 1969, folio 49.
These elegant chairs are typical of Tilliard's oeuvre, the characteristic heart-shaped cabochon which appears on the seat-rails being almost an exclusive signature of his work. A closely related pair of chaises à la reine stamped by Tilliard is illustrated in F.J.B.Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, New York, 1966, vol. I, pl.35, p.48-49, whilst an extremely closely related suite of chaises à la reine was formerly in the collection of Paul Dutasta; a pair of these was sold at Christie's New York, The Alexander Collection, 30 April 1999, lot 88.
Tilliard established his workshop in the Rue du Cléry where he worked until his death in 1766 when he was succeeded by his son Jean-Baptiste II. One of the most talented chair-makers of the period, he supplied the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne from 1730 and between 1737 and 1739 the 'new' seat furniture for Versailles. Among his other clients were Charles de Rohan, Prince de Soubise and the marquise de Pompadour.
The design of these chaises à la Reine owe much to the oeuvre of Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier, one of the pre-eminent designers of the Rococo period. This is particularly apparent in the design for a chair seen in a drawing for a doorway for the Baronness de Bezenval, wife of the Ambassador to the Polish court from 1719 to 1721, which was engraved by Huquier and illustrated in D. Nyberg, L'Oeuvre de Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier, New York, 1969, folio 49.
These elegant chairs are typical of Tilliard's oeuvre, the characteristic heart-shaped cabochon which appears on the seat-rails being almost an exclusive signature of his work. A closely related pair of chaises à la reine stamped by Tilliard is illustrated in F.J.B.Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, New York, 1966, vol. I, pl.35, p.48-49, whilst an extremely closely related suite of chaises à la reine was formerly in the collection of Paul Dutasta; a pair of these was sold at Christie's New York, The Alexander Collection, 30 April 1999, lot 88.