Offered by Sérignan Antiquités
Set of six Louis XV period flat-back "à reine" chairs in molded, carved and waxed beech wood, with wide, deep molding, enhanced by fine, deep symmetrical carvings such as acanthus leaves, scrolls and interlacing joined by a stylized floral cartouche. The stamp I.GOURDIN, for Jean-Baptiste Gourdin, is stamped on the inside of the back rail of three of them. These chairs have undergone a thorough refurbishment; formerly caned, they have been upholstered to optimize their comfort, and a sheet of veneer has been evenly applied to the back of each chair to purify the visual effect of the caning strips that have become obsolete once the chair has been placed around a table. It's worth noting the great care taken with the connecting elements, which are of impeccable quality. Balance, responsiveness and elegance are the most appropriate terms to describe this rare suite of six chairs by Jean-Baptiste Gourdin. There is a slight variation in the foliage movements, a detail that testifies to the importance of Jean-Baptiste Gourdin's workshop, where the master employed several sculptors to fulfill important commissions. Dimensions: height 93cm - width 49cm - depth 45cm.
Jean-Baptiste GOURDIN, received master on March 26, 1748.
Born into a family of Parisian joiners, Jean-Baptiste Gourdin is the eldest son of Jean Gourdin, known as Père Gourdin, and the brother of Michel Gourdin, himself a joiner. Unlike most 18th-century woodworkers, he was not apprenticed to a master joiner, but to sculptor Toussaint Foliot, from 1736 to 1741. He then returned to his father's workshop from 1741 to 1746. Privileged by his training with these two masters, he was admitted to the carpenters' guild in 1747, even though he had not yet completed his apprenticeship. In 1746, he married Marie-Françoise Ferret, daughter of master carpenter Claude Ferret. On the latter's death, Jean-Baptiste Gourdin inherited his store, also located on rue de Cléry. He opened his own workshop and took on apprentices, eventually buying the whole house in 1761 under the "Nom de Jésus" sign, next to his father's. Gourdin worked for a more eclectic clientele than his father's, made up of numerous European financiers. His most famous clients included, on a fairly regular basis, the Prince de Soubise, Duc de Rohan, and the Marquis de Bellevaux; but his most illustrious client was undoubtedly the Dauphine Marie-Antoinette, when she moved to court.
Delevery information :
General conditions of sale and delivery: The price indicated on the ad includes the delivery throughout the metropolitan France. For Germany, Belgium, Italy or Spain contact us for a quote. For the United States, Europe outside the EU or the rest of the world contact us for a quote but the import taxes applicable in each country remain at your expense. The packing and the follow-up of the transport are insured by ourselves or by professional carriers specialized in works of art.
