Pair of Yellow Lacquered Venetian Armchairs
Wood type: lacquered walnut
Period: mid-19th century
Origin: Venice
Dimensions:
Height – 88 cm
Seat height – 42 cm
Width – 60 cm (measured at the edges)
Depth – 43 cm (measured at the edges)
Description:
Elegant pair of carved wooden armchairs, lacquered and hand-decorated, made in Venice around the mid-1800s in the Venetian Rococo style, reinterpreted with 19th-century Neoclassical elements.
The structure, light and dynamic, is fully lacquered in an ochre yellow tone, with surfaces further embellished by delicate polychrome floral motifs, tastefully distributed across the armrests, backrests, and lower stretchers. The painted decoration retains a chromatic freshness that blends harmoniously with the aged patina, giving the pieces a lived-in yet authentic charm.
The backrests feature a shaped frame with a sinuous outline and a central carving in the form of an inverted figure eight—a symbol often associated with infinity or the lover's knot, a recurring motif in Venetian Rococo. The armrests, also sculpted and slightly curved, flow gracefully into the front part of the seat, creating a harmonious relationship between the structural elements.
The sabre-shaped legs end in small scrolls and connect to the seat through a carved apron, adorned in the center with a stylized shell motif, another typical element from the 18th-century design repertoire.