Published: February 17, 2015 Author: Zoe Allen
Section: Conservation , Creating the new Europe 16001800 Galleries Tags: 3D printing , chair , conservation , Europe Galleries , featured , gilding , Marie Antoinette , re-upholstery
Zoe Allen, Senior Gilded Furniture and Frames Conservator
Phil James, Technician, Technical Services
Armchair, before treatment with its 1970s upholstery and blue paint, Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sen, Paris, France, about 1785- 1790, walnut, carved and painted, upholstered in silk. Museum no. W.7-1956, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Chair after treatment, Zoe Allen
This painted and gilded carved walnut chair is part of a suite of furniture made for Marie Antoinettes Cabinet Particulier in the palace of Saint Cloud outside of Paris. It was made by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sen (17481803) in 1788 and was painted and gilded by Louis-Franois Chatard, (ca. 1749-1819), Both Sen and Chatard were principle chair makers and gilders to Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinette and this chair bears the makers stamp.
The V&A have a second chair and the rest of the suite has been scattered; Versailles have one chair, there is one in a private collection and the rest of the suite, a fire screen, a lit de repos (daybed) and a bergre (enclosed armchair), is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
[The article is pretty big and with a lot of images, which would be tricky to format here to Ning. I'll leave thelinkto the rest of it, it is veryinterestinganIrecommendeveryone to take a look!]
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updated by @leopoldina: 06 Oct 2016 06:34:18AM