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Lot Essay
Louis Delanois, maître in 1761.
With its refined and unusual carved friezes, this canapé is a masterpiece of the celebrated menuisier en siège Louis Delanois and formed part of the iconic collection of the fashion designer Jacques Doucet.
Louis Delanois was one of the most important menuisiers of the 1760's and 1770's, and was among the first to embrace the neo-classical style fashionable among avant-garde collectors of the time. He supplied extensively to marchands-tapissiers, but also numbered among his clients members of the aristocracy with progressive taste, such as the prince de Condé and Madame du Barry. One of his most important commissions was for the King of Poland in 1768-70, when he supplied a significant amount of mobilier after striking neo-classical designs by Louis Prieur.
The architectural form of this canapé, with finely carved chute de piastres, laurel, guilloche friezes and inverted cabriole legs, is typical of Delanois's oeuvre at the pinnacle of his career. Similar distinctive guilloche friezes enclosing flower heads and laurel leaves feature on other chairs by Delanois delivered to Madame du Barry in 1769, for example a pair of which was delivered to her grand cabinet d’Angle at Versailles, sold at Christie’s, 26 October 2001 and another pair of chairs supplied the same year for her Pavillon de Louveciennes in 1769, sold at Christie’s, London, 12 December 2002, lot 15.
This superb canapé formed part of the collection of Jacques Doucet (1853-1929), which was sold in the legendary Paris auction of 1912. An acclaimed couturier, his designs were worn by the most celebrated actresses of his time, such as Sarah Bernhardt. Doucet was also a passionate art collector, and his landmark sale featured Post-Impressionist and Cubist paintings, Art Deco and 18th Century French furniture, along with Asian ceramics and mounted porcelains. Doucet bought at many of the prestigious collection sales of the period, including the legendary Baron Double collection of 1881, when he was just 30, acquiring masterpieces such as those by the great ébénistes Riesener, Carlin and Boulle.
With its refined and unusual carved friezes, this canapé is a masterpiece of the celebrated menuisier en siège Louis Delanois and formed part of the iconic collection of the fashion designer Jacques Doucet.
Louis Delanois was one of the most important menuisiers of the 1760's and 1770's, and was among the first to embrace the neo-classical style fashionable among avant-garde collectors of the time. He supplied extensively to marchands-tapissiers, but also numbered among his clients members of the aristocracy with progressive taste, such as the prince de Condé and Madame du Barry. One of his most important commissions was for the King of Poland in 1768-70, when he supplied a significant amount of mobilier after striking neo-classical designs by Louis Prieur.
The architectural form of this canapé, with finely carved chute de piastres, laurel, guilloche friezes and inverted cabriole legs, is typical of Delanois's oeuvre at the pinnacle of his career. Similar distinctive guilloche friezes enclosing flower heads and laurel leaves feature on other chairs by Delanois delivered to Madame du Barry in 1769, for example a pair of which was delivered to her grand cabinet d’Angle at Versailles, sold at Christie’s, 26 October 2001 and another pair of chairs supplied the same year for her Pavillon de Louveciennes in 1769, sold at Christie’s, London, 12 December 2002, lot 15.
This superb canapé formed part of the collection of Jacques Doucet (1853-1929), which was sold in the legendary Paris auction of 1912. An acclaimed couturier, his designs were worn by the most celebrated actresses of his time, such as Sarah Bernhardt. Doucet was also a passionate art collector, and his landmark sale featured Post-Impressionist and Cubist paintings, Art Deco and 18th Century French furniture, along with Asian ceramics and mounted porcelains. Doucet bought at many of the prestigious collection sales of the period, including the legendary Baron Double collection of 1881, when he was just 30, acquiring masterpieces such as those by the great ébénistes Riesener, Carlin and Boulle.