A Pair of Fauteuils en Cabriolet In the Louis XVI Style attributed to François Linke

Object Description

Carved from giltwood, designed in the manner of Jacques-Jean-Baptiste Tilliard who championed the XVI neoclassical style, each chair on tapering legs with torsade fluting, the curved seat rail with bead ornament repeated on the medallion shaped backs with a garlanded urn cresting, the setback curved arms with acanthus foliate carving.
French, circa 1905

These chairs were designed with the intention that they would be arranged against the walls around a room. His intent is clear because he did not carve their backs with the same level of detail as the fronts. This kind of furniture was called chaises meublantes (furnishing chairs), as opposed to chaises courantes (running chairs).

Object Literature

Linke & the d’Astoreca family

Although not much is known about the d’Astoreca family, the Linke archives mentions the family’s residence in Neuilly, just outside of Paris, despite the Spanish surname. The d’Astorecas ordered a large amount of furniture from Linke, including a grand piano,  as well as commissioning curtains and blinds from the firm.

See Christopher Payne, François Linke, 1855-1946 : The Belle Epoque of French Furniture. Antique Collectors’ Club, 2003, for more about the d’Astoreca family.

Object Condition

Excellent condition

Object Details