18th Century, A French Louis XVI Lacquered Wood Seat Furniture

18th Century, A French Louis XVI Lacquered Wood Seat Furniture with Aubusson Tapestry
Dimensions:
Sofa: cm W 180 x D 75 x H 109. Seat H 43 cm
Armchairs: cm W 64 x D 64 x H 96. Seat H 43 cm

This exquisite sitting room, composed of two armchairs and a sofa, was made in France in the second half of the 18th century, during the Louis XVI period.
The structure of the seating is made of carved and lacquered wood in Trianon gray, while the original upholstery is executed with fabric from the Aubusson manufactory. Both the armchairs and the sofa feature a backrest framed by carved reserves with phytomorphic motifs. On the sides, they are flanked by tapered, fluted columns that begin and end with square-section elements and a circular capital. From these columns, the curved armrests originate, decorated at the top with acanthus leaf carving, and with upholstered armrests. The armrests are connected to the seat by fluted twisted columns, with semi-spherical bases decorated with acanthus leaves, which continue optically to form the legs supporting the seats. The legs originate from a square-section element, decorated in the center with a flower-shaped carving and a circular capital, topped by a fluted parallelepiped. They end with an inverted conical foot. The frieze beneath the seat repeats the carving of the backrest frame, with a phytomorphic pattern. The entire set is distinguished by elegance and lightness, thanks to its light coloration and highly refined carving.
The tapestry used for the seat coverings, contemporary to the pieces, was produced by the French Aubusson manufactory, which had been granted the title of Royal Manufactory since 1665. The scenes depicted were based on designs made on tapestry cartoons or engravings by famous artists. The subjects on this set of seating are inspired by the French artistic production prevalent during the Rococo period, which saw painters such as Jean-Baptiste Oudry, François Boucher, Antoine Watteau, Jean-Baptiste Huet, Charles Le Brun, and Jacques-Nicolas Julliard, among others, rise to prominence.
Focusing on pastoral scenes, featuring galant scenes of dance and shepherds playing the flute, the imagery is set outdoors and framed by red draperies and ochre passementerie, adorned with garlands of flowers. The fabric on the backrest of the sofa, at the top edge, shows a restoration, where the upholstery has been integrated with a similar, coeval fabric, that mirrors the design of the drapery knots.
This Seat Furniture set is highly decorative and valuable, suitable for placement in representative spaces, and can be integrated into entrances, corridors, studies, and salons.
The Seat Furniture is in good general condition, and the seats are usable. However, the structure of the sofa would benefit from a stability check, which we can address if needed.