CIRCA 1765 - 1770, POSSIBLY PIEDMONT

This pair of armchairs is essentially identical to one that was offered anonymously at Christie's, Monaco, 8 December 1990, lot 158, and which apparently bore the stamp of Nicolas Foliot. Jean-Jacques Gautier argues that these fauteuils, now in the salon at Champ de Bataille in Normandie, must form part of the delivery of one canapé, ten fauteuils, eighteen chaises, one screen and a larger fauteuil for the King supplied to Madame Du Barry at Versailles between 31 August and 30 September 1772 (J.-J. Gautier, 'Jacques Gondouin, architecte et dessinateur du garde-meuble de la couronne', L'Estampille, L'Objet d'Art, November 1992, pp. 58 - 67). The conclusion is drawn on the basis of the general decor of these fauteuils which includes flowers and billing doves which were omnipresent aspects of decor in her furnishings. The official records of that period are incomplete and no menusier, carver or gilder is mentioned, but a very brief description describes them as de forme ronde. However, subsequently doubt has been cast on this theory and the fauteuils have been attributed to Italian masters working to French designs (Bill G.B. Pallot, L'Estampille, L'Objet d'Art, January 1993, p. 17). Pallot points out the design elements that do not correspond with the oeuvre of Foliot and not with French chairs in general. He concludes that the 'Foliot' stamp on them is spurrrious. Indeed the workmanship of the frames and the carving indicate that these fauteuils are probably North Italian, possibly Piedmontese. Influences on their form appear to be the designs by Jean-Louis Prieur for the Royal Palace at Warsaw of 1765 - 1766 (see illustrated below), which were at the forefront of the gout grec. The designs for the fauteuils and canapés incorporate the same inscrolled arms capped with foliage and the severe legs that feature on the offered lot.