Armchair
1788
The carved surface of this chair is covered in Neoclassical ornament. This includes laurel and acanthus leaf motifs, and straight, tapering legs in the shape of classical columns with Ionic capitals. The arms are supported by busts representing Diana, goddess of hunting. Sené made furniture for several French royal palaces. This chair was part of a suite made for Queen Marie-Antoinette, whose initials are on the cresting.
France (Paris)
Frame probably by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené
Original painting and gilding by Louis-François Chatard
Walnut, painted and partly gilded; modern upholstery
Given by Sir Chester Beatty, FSA, LLD, DSc
[09/12/2015]
[Label text by Peter Thornton]
ARMCHAIR
FRENCH (Paris); about 1785-90
Carved, painted and partly gilded beechwood. Modern upholstery. The cipher M.A. on the crest rail.
Attributed to Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sene (created master in 1769) who provided much carved furniture for royal palaces during the reign of Louis XVI, including some chairs for Marie Antoinette's cabinet de Toilette at St. Cloud which were delivered in 1788 and were very similar to this one. They are now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. The present chair, which bears her initials, may well have been made for one of her other apartments, perhaps at Versailles or at the Tuileries.
Given by Sir Chester Beatty, LL.D., D.Sc. [1980]
Pair of chairs
Painted and gilded wood
From the Sene workshop, made for the apartments of Marie Antionette at the Chateau of St. Cloud.
French; about 1785
Given by Sir Chester Beatty, F.S.A., LLD, D.Sc. [1966]