Veuve Boulard Et Chatard - Royal Furniture, Delivered For Compiègne - Lacquered Wood

Available in Paris.

Part of furniture
Lacquered beech
Stamp and delivery labels
Dimensions of chairs: H. 92.5 ; W. 50 ; D. 50 (cm.)
Dimensions of armchairs: H. 97 ; W. 60 ; D. 60 (cm.)
Paris, 1790

Rare bedroom furniture composed of two chairs and two armchairs à la reine. They stand on tapered, fluted and filleted legs. The armrests of the armchairs are scrolled. The backrest is in the shape of a basket handle. All finely molded. Note the absence of connecting dowels on these four chairs, which makes them all the more unusual among the Garde-Meuble's “regular” deliveries.

A proven provenance
These four chairs, which come to us in a very good state of freshness, retain a delivery label “Pour le service des Ministres, Chambre à coucher, à Compiègne, ordre n° 13”. This delivery order can be found in the Archives Nationales under code O¹ 3652. The delivery note from Veuve Boulard, dated May 5, 1790, mentions the making of “three fauteuils à la Reine, de forme carrée, les cintres surbaissés, les pieds à gaines tournées et cannelées, à 10 livres chaque” as well as two others “à carreau de même forme”, but also “deux chaises pareille au fauteuils”.
The seats were probably delivered in anticipation of the Court's return to the Oise residence in the summer, and more specifically of Necker's return to office as Prime Minister of Finance. This hypothesis is corroborated by the creation of an “Impériale à la Choisy” for the same room by JBC Séné (O¹ 3653). Finally, the wood is supplied to Chatard to be painted and varnished in white, under the same order number as the delivery of the barrels, for two armchairs and two chairs, probably ours (O¹ 3652)...

Condition report: wear from use, period strapping, interesting restoration project

Provenance: - delivered in May 1790 for the service of the Ministers, probably Necker, in Compiègne.
- French private collection

Bibliography: Jean Baptiste Boulard menuisier du Roi by Laurent Condamy, p. 302 for a description of this delivery.