A Louis XV cabinet armchair canned stamped Jacques-pierre Letellier Mid 18t

A Louis XV cabinet armchair in carved, molded and waxed beech wood, dark cane; with a curved gondola shape, it is as enveloping as it is harmonious. The woodwork of its backrest runs in a single throw, to the armrests so that it seems to continue all around the seat. An elegant work of graceful and deep moldings, all in curves and counter-curves enhanced by fine fan sculptures adorns the decor. This office chair has an atypical foot layout. This ingenious and highly innovative technical invention consists in shifting the usual layout of the base; it is not arranged in a square as usual but in a diamond shape at the four cardinal points, so as to optimize its stability. The front foot being implanted at the front of the belt in its strongly protruding median part; the user can in this way have his legs on either side of it. Aiming to be seen from all sides, great care is taken to the smallest details. We notice on the back of the central upright, the vertical band which serves to block the fixing cavity of the rod with wood. The base is made up of four curved legs that are gradually becoming thinner. The front and the sides are pinched in the middle part and brought up with fine elegant moldings at the ends punctuated by volute. The seat racket, also dark in cane, is embellished with a cognac morocco tile (cushion) in line with the cuffs of the armrests, both covered identically. It stems from this most avant-garde seat, very representative of the first period of the reign of Louis XV; a notion of fluidity all in curves and against curves where everything is only delicacy, balance, nervousness, elegance and quality so sweet to the eye. It should be noted the great care taken in connecting elements of irreproachable quality. Jacques-Pierre Letellier's stamp is stamped on the edge of the belt. This only appears partially due to the repeated sanding of its old lacquer, but sufficiently decipherable to confirm its authenticity to Jacques-Pierre Letellier. Jacques-Pierre Letellier, received Master in 1747, is a member of a dynasty of carpenters and cabinetmakers. First installed in rue du faubourg Saint-Antoine, he then moved to rue de Charenton. He made all kinds of ordinary, luxury and convenience seats. His work has been little studied and remains to be discovered. We know, in addition to our cabinet armchair, a series of five caned armchairs delivered for the Marquis de Paulmy and kept at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal, a molded armchair preserved in the town of Melun, a set of Transition chairs reputed to come from the Marquis de Marigny (reproduced in Connaissance des Arts, n ° 69, May 1969) and part of which is currently dispersed between AXA's headquarters at the Hôtel de la Vaupalière and a large gallery on the left bank, and finally a shepherdess formerly in the Albert Kahn collection. Dimensions: Height: 90cm, seat height with cushion 54.5cm, without cushion 46.7cm, interior height of the backrest 42.2cm. Exterior cuff width 61.3cm, interior seat width 54cm, 60.8cm at the waist. Depth: at the waist 56.6, seat 47cm.