A Louis XVI Fauteuil De Bureau Stamped Jean-nicolas Blanchard Circa 1775.

Large cabinet armchair, Louis XVI period stamped by Jean Nicolas Blanchard in carved, molded and lacquered beech wood, darkened with cane and upholstered in havana leather. Of curved gondola shape, it is as enveloping as it is harmonious. The woodwork of its backrest runs in a single stream, up to the armrests so that it seems to continue all around the seat. The seat is covered with elegant, deep, curved moldings. This office chair has an atypical implantation of feet. This technique already widespread under Louis XV was very rare under Louis XVI. It consists in shifting the usual implantation of the base; this one is arranged not in square as usual but in diamond shape at the four cardinal points, in order to optimize its stability. The front foot is located in front of the belt in its middle part, which protrudes strongly, allowing the user to place his legs on both sides of it. Other very interesting characteristics of this seat are the connection of the belt to the base in the form of a square quadrilateral for the front legs and a diamond shape for the sides. This movement, as atypical as it is decorative, avoids the usually visually unsightly detachment of the frontal band from the lateral crosspieces of the belt. Having vocation to be seen all faces, a great care is brought to the smallest details. The base consists of four spindle feet with progressive grooves matching those of the armrests. The seat racket, also darkened with cane, is embellished with a havana leather tile (cushion) matching the armrests and, of course, the backrest cover, all of which are covered with the same material. It is worth noting the great care taken with the linking elements of impeccable quality. Balance, elegance, quality and originality are the most appropriate terms for this avant-garde chair. Parisian work of the second part of the eighteenth century of Louis XVI period stamped by Jean-Nicolas Blanchard (1730-1787), known as the Young. Master on June 12, 1771.
It should be noted that the cane racket has been previously restored.
Dimensions: Height: 89.8cm, seat height with cushion 50.6cm, without cushion 43.5cm.
Depth: belt55.2cm. Width cuffs: 63.8cm.

Jean-Nicolas Blanchard, known as "the young", was admitted to his master's degree in 1771 and took over his brother Sylvain's workshop, located on rue de Cléry under the sign of the "White Cat". He became one of the suppliers of the Château de Versailles and quickly acquired a great reputation. He produced large armchairs in the Louis XV style as well as Transitional seats and more classical Louis XVI armchairs, but all of them were always of good quality, with noble lines and a perfect finish. He decorated his works with sculptures of roses, foliage, flowery garlands, ribbon bows and acanthus, sculptures of extreme finesse without ever the slightest overload. He also worked for many renowned upholsterers such as the Presle brothers. He stopped his activities some time before the Revolution but he is still mentioned under the Directory. Jean-Nicolas Blanchard's works such as a broken duchess Louis XV is in the collections of the Carnavalet Museum, a Louis XV shepherdess to the queen, in the Louvre Museum, a Transitional armchair in the Lambinet Museum of Versailles and a very large Louis XVI sofa with confidents in the Calouste Gulbenkian of Lisbon among others. Bibliography sorted by : Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIème Siècle by Pierre Kjellberg page 76, d : Les ébénistes du XVIIIe siècle by Comte François de Salverte page 25, and L'art et la manière des ébénistes Français au XVIIIe siècle by Jean Nicolay page 21.