Offered by Igra Lignum
French Furniture and Art Pieces of the 18th century and Empire period
Pair of lacquered and gilt wood armchairs by Jean-Baptiste Demay, early 19th century.
Condition:
Excellent condition, restored in the summer of 2021 and upholstered in blue and gold silk produced by Lelièvre.
Artist:
Jean-Baptiste-Bernard Demay (1759-1848) was a seat carpenter, received master on February 4, 1784. He worked on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, then on rue de Cléry after the Revolution, before interrupting his activities at the fall of the Empire. Under the Ancien Régime, he worked for the royal family, delivering delicate and fashionable furniture (backs with lyre or balloon motifs). Under the Directory and the Consulate, he adopted the fashion of mahogany seats.
Other furniture:
Paris, Museum of Decorative Arts
Queen's armchair in the Louis XVI style, circa 1785-1790, carved and painted walnut (inv. 3939)
Paris, Carnavalet museum
Pair of chairs "à la montgolfière", circa 1785, carved and painted beech (MB 93 and MB94)
Versailles, castles of Versailles and Trianon
Four chairs with the figure of Marie-Antoinette, carved and painted wood, circa 1785 (T536C.1-4)
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Sofa, pair of armchairs, and pair of bergères à la reine, circa 1785, carved and gilt walnut (1973.305.1, 1977.102.11 and 12, 1973.305.1 and 2)
Bibliography:
Pierre Kjellberg, Le Mobilier français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris: Les Éditions de l'Amateur, 2002, pp. 285-287.
Delevery information :
A wooden box is made for each article. For especially fragile furniture pieces, we produce customized boxes.