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Lot Essay
Jean-Baptiste Gourdin, maître in 1748.
The elegant and sinuous design of these superb fauteuils, consisting of a delicate interaction of scrolls, curves and lines, is characteristic of Jean-Baptiste Gourdin’s most accomplished work executed during the early years of his career, circa 1748-’60. They are obviously related to the monumental and boldly carved chairs executed by his father, Jean Gourdin (maître in 1714), known as Gourdin Père, in the same period, such as those from the collection of marquis de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson (1721-1782) at the château d'Asnières (sold Christie’s, London, 9 July 2015, lot 4). The fluid, slightly restrained lines of the present fauteuils, here combined with small floral motifs and foliate trails to the seat-rails, are typical of the so-called ‘symmetrical rocaille’ of circa 1750-60 (B. Pallot et al., 18th Century Birth of Design: Furniture Masterpieces, 1650 to 1790, exh. cat., Paris, 2014, p. 127, cat. 27).
The Gourdin family of menuisiers:
These fauteuils were executed by Jean-Baptiste Gourdin, as mentioned above, son of the celebrated menuisier Jean Gourdin. The latter was appointed maître-menuisier in 1714 and established in the rue de Cléry by the sign of 'Saint Jacques'. Gourdin was patronised by marquis de Bercy (1678-1742) and the duchesse de Mazarin whose residence on the rue de Varenne was redesigned by Nicolas Pineau circa 1737. Flourishing until 1764, Jean Gourdin employed two stamps during his long career. The first, I.G., served until circa 1748, when his son Jean-Baptiste joined his atelier at the sign of the 'Nom de Jesus', rue de Cléry. Thereafter he used the stamp PERE GOURDIN; his son using the stamp I. GOURDIN. A younger son, Michel Gourdin, maître in 1752, used the stamp M. GOURDIN.
Nicolas and Dominique Pineau:
Various fauteuils by the Gourdin family bear resemblance to designs of circa 1730 or just after by the ornemanistes and dessinateurs du Roi Nicolas and Dominique Pineau, whose drawing on two pages of a notebook from the Tessin Collection in the National Museum, Stockholm, depicts a sculptural fauteuil. The relationship between count Tessin and the frères Pineau was first revealed in 1891 by Emile de Bias who published a collection of Pineau drawings, and was further examined in Leon Deshairs's 1911 publication les dessins du Musée et de la Bibliothèque des arts décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, Pavillon de Marsan : XVIIIe siècle, époque de Louis XV : Nicolas et Dominique Pineau. Given the connection between Pineau and Gourdin, via their mutual client the duchesse de Mazarin, it is not surprising that the influence of Pineau was evident in Gourdin's oeuvre; furthermore, records state that Pineau ordered two 'lits à la colonne' for his own use from the menuisier in 1755. A characteristic feature of Pineau’s design for his fauteuil is the solution of the arm support in the form of a scroll which blends into the seat-rails, which is apparent on the present fauteuil. This first appears on a fauteuil by Jean-Baptiste Tilliard of circa 1740, but was then soon adopted by various other celebrated menuisiers on their most ambitious models executed 1750- ‘65, such as those by Nicolas Heurtaut and Jean Boucault (B. Pallot, L’ Art du Siege au XVIIIe Siècle, pp. 124-125, 130-131.
The elegant and sinuous design of these superb fauteuils, consisting of a delicate interaction of scrolls, curves and lines, is characteristic of Jean-Baptiste Gourdin’s most accomplished work executed during the early years of his career, circa 1748-’60. They are obviously related to the monumental and boldly carved chairs executed by his father, Jean Gourdin (maître in 1714), known as Gourdin Père, in the same period, such as those from the collection of marquis de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson (1721-1782) at the château d'Asnières (sold Christie’s, London, 9 July 2015, lot 4). The fluid, slightly restrained lines of the present fauteuils, here combined with small floral motifs and foliate trails to the seat-rails, are typical of the so-called ‘symmetrical rocaille’ of circa 1750-60 (B. Pallot et al., 18th Century Birth of Design: Furniture Masterpieces, 1650 to 1790, exh. cat., Paris, 2014, p. 127, cat. 27).
The Gourdin family of menuisiers:
These fauteuils were executed by Jean-Baptiste Gourdin, as mentioned above, son of the celebrated menuisier Jean Gourdin. The latter was appointed maître-menuisier in 1714 and established in the rue de Cléry by the sign of 'Saint Jacques'. Gourdin was patronised by marquis de Bercy (1678-1742) and the duchesse de Mazarin whose residence on the rue de Varenne was redesigned by Nicolas Pineau circa 1737. Flourishing until 1764, Jean Gourdin employed two stamps during his long career. The first, I.G., served until circa 1748, when his son Jean-Baptiste joined his atelier at the sign of the 'Nom de Jesus', rue de Cléry. Thereafter he used the stamp PERE GOURDIN; his son using the stamp I. GOURDIN. A younger son, Michel Gourdin, maître in 1752, used the stamp M. GOURDIN.
Nicolas and Dominique Pineau:
Various fauteuils by the Gourdin family bear resemblance to designs of circa 1730 or just after by the ornemanistes and dessinateurs du Roi Nicolas and Dominique Pineau, whose drawing on two pages of a notebook from the Tessin Collection in the National Museum, Stockholm, depicts a sculptural fauteuil. The relationship between count Tessin and the frères Pineau was first revealed in 1891 by Emile de Bias who published a collection of Pineau drawings, and was further examined in Leon Deshairs's 1911 publication les dessins du Musée et de la Bibliothèque des arts décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, Pavillon de Marsan : XVIIIe siècle, époque de Louis XV : Nicolas et Dominique Pineau. Given the connection between Pineau and Gourdin, via their mutual client the duchesse de Mazarin, it is not surprising that the influence of Pineau was evident in Gourdin's oeuvre; furthermore, records state that Pineau ordered two 'lits à la colonne' for his own use from the menuisier in 1755. A characteristic feature of Pineau’s design for his fauteuil is the solution of the arm support in the form of a scroll which blends into the seat-rails, which is apparent on the present fauteuil. This first appears on a fauteuil by Jean-Baptiste Tilliard of circa 1740, but was then soon adopted by various other celebrated menuisiers on their most ambitious models executed 1750- ‘65, such as those by Nicolas Heurtaut and Jean Boucault (B. Pallot, L’ Art du Siege au XVIIIe Siècle, pp. 124-125, 130-131.