Carved Mahogany Armchair after Georges Jacob

Mahogany.
France.
Mid-19th century.
h. 37,8 in. ; w. 24,4 in. ; d. 18,5 in.

This carved mahogany armchair is a faithful replica of one of Georges Jacob's most iconic armchairs. Among all the armchairs designed by Georges Jacob, there is one that stands out from the rest. It is on this chair that, in the famous family portrait where he appears alongside his wife, daughters, and sons, the elderly Georges Jacob is seated.

This armchair, like the one described here, is made of carved mahogany. Its backrest takes the so-called "hemicycle" shape; the crossbar is openwork and adorned with palmettes; the armrests are supported by stylized dolphin heads; the rear legs are "saber-shaped," and the front legs are baluster-shaped. Unlike this particular armchair, Georges Jacob's original piece, displayed along with its counterpart at the Marmottan Museum, does not feature an antique-style frieze on its backrest.

Sources

Hector Lefuel, Georges Jacob, Ébéniste du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1923 ; Madeleine Jarry and Pierre Devinoy, Le Siège français, Fribourg, 1973.