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Lot Essay
These impressive fauteuils were almost certainly executed in Dresden in the 1740s. They are bold examples of the rococo Court style of Frederick August II (d. 1763), who succeeded as Elector of Saxony and King of Poland in 1733. During the early years of his reign, cabinet-making in Dresden and other neighbouring centres became increasingly influenced by the French Louis XV style, which was disseminated through the publication of ornamental prints, such as Juste-Aurele Meissonnier's Livre d'Ornaments et Dessins, which first appeared in 1734. The fashion for French furniture in Dresden was further compounded following the marriage of the Elector's daughter, Princess Maria Josepha, to the Dauphin in 1747. In subsequent years, important acquisitions were made in Paris through agents, acting on behalf of the Elector but also his most powerful minister, Graf von Brühl. (G. Haase, Dresdener Möbel des 18. Jahrhunderts, Leipzig, 1983, pp. 143-144)
The present fauteuils are incised with inventory marks to the back seat-rails. These consist of the letter G within a heart-shaped cartouche, which is flanked by the numbers 18, 46, 51, 52, which, in view of their broad span probably refer to the rooms in which they were placed. A similar heart-shaped inventory mark, enclosing the monogram MA beneath a crown, appears on furniture in Schloss Moritzburg, just outside Dresden. The 'G' within a heart therefore probably refers to another Saxon Schloss, possibly Schloss Großsedlitz, but no firm link has yet been established. An identical inventory mark, but flanked by the number 19, has recently been discovered on a Dresden walnut bureau of the early 18th Century, and undoubtedly comes from the same Schloss. (Information kindly supplied by Dr. Gisela Haase)
The present fauteuils are incised with inventory marks to the back seat-rails. These consist of the letter G within a heart-shaped cartouche, which is flanked by the numbers 18, 46, 51, 52, which, in view of their broad span probably refer to the rooms in which they were placed. A similar heart-shaped inventory mark, enclosing the monogram MA beneath a crown, appears on furniture in Schloss Moritzburg, just outside Dresden. The 'G' within a heart therefore probably refers to another Saxon Schloss, possibly Schloss Großsedlitz, but no firm link has yet been established. An identical inventory mark, but flanked by the number 19, has recently been discovered on a Dresden walnut bureau of the early 18th Century, and undoubtedly comes from the same Schloss. (Information kindly supplied by Dr. Gisela Haase)