Armchair from the salon of the Duchesse d'Harcourt in Versai - Lot 191

Armchair from the salon of the Duchesse d'Harcourt in Versailles, 1787, in molded and carved wood, stamped IB Sené from the Louis XVI period. H. 88 W. 64 D. 55 cm Restorations Jean Baptiste Claude Sené received his master's diploma in 1769. In his book on Louis-François Chatard (ed. Faton, 2022), pages 112 and 113, Sébastien Boudry tells us that for the Duchess d'Harcourt's salon de compagnie in Versailles, Séné was to make "the joinery for 12 cabriolet checkered armchairs. (...) said seats with double moldings and doucines, twisted fluted legs and acanthus leaves, only on the armchair consoles", a sculpture undoubtedly planned under Hauré's direction and executed by Vallois (Archives nationales O1 35791). Chatard was responsible for "painting the said wood in white varnish and lightly repainting the sculpture". "Chatard... Mémoire... 1st semester 1787. Versailles for the service of Madame Darcourt. Salon. Livré (...) la peinture en blanc verni de 12 fauteuils en cabriolet lesquelles ils ont des feuilles dacante sur les accotoires et valent chaque 3 tt pièce et pour les 12 ensemble cy............36". (Archives Nationales O1 3641) The Château de Versailles owns one of the twelve armchairs in suite with ours (V. 2014.11) (illustration), whose provenance we establish here more precisely and formally. Cf Versalia n°19, year 2016, "Enrichments des collections de l'année 2014, pp. 12, 17-18". From a series of twelve cabriolet armchairs, painted by Chatard, following the order of March 20, 1787 (archive references, etc.) (cf. Sébastien Boudry, Chatard, page 113, chairs described).