Small settee (part of a set)

Art Historical Context

This elegant small settee, created around 1785, reflects the refined taste of late eighteenth-century French furniture during the reign of Louis XVI. Cabinetmaker Georges Jacob, celebrated for his neoclassical designs, crafted the carved and gilded walnut frame, while textile designer Philippe de Lasalle likely contributed to the embroidered silk-satin upholstery. Though the fabric is not original to the piece, its delicate floral motifs of roses and leaves echo the period’s love of naturalistic ornament drawn from antiquity. The settee’s compact proportions and graceful curves highlight the ...