Pair of side chairs
mid-18th century
Medium
Carved and painted wood; silk upholstery
Dimensions
Overall (.723): 34 1/8 × 20 1/2 × 19 in. (86.7 × 52.1 × 48.3 cm); Overall (.724): 35 5/8 × 20 1/2 × 18 3/4 in. (90.5 × 52.1 × 47.6 cm)
Classification
Woodwork-Furniture
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Catherine D. Wentworth, 1948
Accession Number
48.187.723, .724
Tags
Art Historical Context
These exquisite pair of side chairs, by the renowned Parisian menuisier Jean-Baptiste Iilliard in the mid-18th century, the opulent Rococo style of Louis XV France. Tilliard, a masterer active in Paris, specialized in finely carved furniture for the aristocracy, and these chairs feature intricate floral motifs—evident in their delicate wood carvings—painted for added vibrancy and upholstered in luxurious silk. Measuring about 34-35 inches tall, their graceful proportions and subtle asymmetry made them ideal for intimate salon seating, where conversation and refinement reigned. The Rococo move...