Side chair (one of a pair)

Art Historical Context

This elegant side chair, one of a matching pair crafted by Parisian chairmaker Jean-Baptiste III Lel around 1775–80, exemplifies the refined luxury of late Louis XVI-era furniture. Fashioned from carved and gildedwood, it stands at 35 3/4 inches tall, with a slender profile perfect for intimate salon seating. The gilding—thin gold leaf applied over intricate carvings—highlights the wood's natural strength, a technique that added opulent shimmer to everyday aristocratic life. Produced in Paris during the Neoclassical period, the chair reflects France's shift from the playful curves of Rococo toward straighter lines and classical motifs inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. Lelarge, part of a renowned family of menuisiers (joiners), specialized in such high-end woodwork, often stamping pieces for guild authentication. These chairs would have graced the private apartments of the nobility, symbolizing status amid pre-Revolutionary elegance. Acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Rogers Fund in 1923, this chair invites us to imagine the whispers of Versailles-era conversations. Its preservation offers a tangible link to 18th-century French decorative arts, where craftsmanship met cultural prestige.