A suite of Restauration seating furniture by Etienne-François Quenne

A very fine suite of Restauration seating furniture, containing a pair of bergères, a set of 6 fauteuils and a canapé by Etienne-François Quenne.

Paris, date circa 1825
Bergères Height 94 cm, width 64 cm, depth 63 cm
Fauteuils Height 95 cm, width 60 cm, depth 59 cm
Canapé Height 88 cm, width 182 cm, depth 73 cm

The canapé has a rectangular back headed by a frieze of floral garlands and putti. The tapering arm supports end in rosettes and rest on gilt winged caryatid supports. The tapering arm supports end in rosettes and rest on gilt bronze winged caryatid supports. The bowfronted seat rail is mounted with rosettes and rests on square tapering legs ending in gilt bronze paw sabots. Stamped QUENNE and branded with various marques au feu: FON, N beneath an imperial crown and three fleur-de-lys. The various inventory marks found on this suite indicate that it was in the French Royal and Imperial collections at the château of Fontainebleau during the 19th Century.

Etienne-François Quenne (1766 - 1837) was a cabineet-maker active in Paris during the Empire and Restauratio periods. He supplied a considerable amount of seat furniture to the Imperial and Royal palaces from 1810 until his death in 1837. This suite is very similar to a model stamped by Jacob Frères and dating to circa 1800 now in the salon of the Château de Grobois (illustrated in R. Baschet, "Les Styles Empire & Restauration", Paris, p. 32). It seems likely that in the case of this suite, Quenne may have been completing an existing set of chairs begun by Jacob Frères.

PROVENANCE
Napoléon III au château de Fontainbleau.
With Authenticity Certificate of Ariane Dandois.

LITERATURE
Ariane Dandoise: "L'Empire à Travers L'Europe", 2000, No. 13 depicting this group.