Directoire Style Chairs in the style of G. Jacob, France, 18th-Century, Set of 6

Six elegant neoclassical chairs “á l’Étrusque” standing on round turned front legs and rectangular curved back legs; the center panel of the backrest is decorated with openwork carved latticework whose intersections are accented by stylized rosettes. The top finishing edge sweeps backward, forming a sweeping counterpart to the concavely curved back legs. All chairs have been reupholstered in an elegant yellow and gold paisley pattern jacquard fabric by RUBELLI. The set of 6 Directoire chairs is closely related to chair designs by Parisian cabinetmaker Georges Jacob (1739-1814) in its formal language and characteristic backrest design: Georges Jacob was one of the most famous Parisian cabinetmakers who specialized in the production of luxurious seating furniture. He received his master title in 1765 and worked for the French royal family and the French and international aristocracy, e.g. for Marie-Antoinette in Versailles, but especially for Monsieur, the King’s brother, who became his most important customer. In 1791, the guild system was abolished and Jacob abandoned his specialization in seating furniture and expanded his portfolio to include the production of other types of furniture as well as bronze assemblies for luxury furniture. After Jacob and his company survived the Revolution with the support of the painter Jacques Louis David, he retired in 1796, leaving his workshop to his two sons, Georges II and François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter, known as Jacob Frères. Jacob’s workshop became a furniture supplier to the French Consulate and subsequently to Emperor Napoleon. Jacob’s works are exhibited in major international museums and collections, including the Chateaux of Chantilly and Fontainebleau, the Louvre and Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, the Wallace Collection in London, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum, to name a few. Compare: Kjellberg, Pierre: Le mobilier francais du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 2008, p. 469, fig. g Condition: very good, shellac polish refreshed, new upholstery, min. signs of age and use.