Influenced by the discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum, the transitional fauteuil combines the serpentine forms of the Louis XV style and neoclassical aesthetics. In line with the taste for the antique, it has straight legs with fluting, sometimes of the spindle type, a precursor of the Louis XVI style. The range of transitional fauteuils is extremely varied, lying somewhere between the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles.
The arms rest on linking dies with rounded edges. The most frequently used wood for the fabrication of the transitional fauteuil was walnut, or lacquered or gilded beech. The arm supports are decorated with imbricated discs and acanthus leaves with a strictly symmetrical design. The return to the classical style in transitional furniture was mainly introduced by the cabinetmaker Georges Jacob.
