Side chair (one of a pair)
ca. 1775–80
Medium
Carved and gilded beechwood
Dimensions
Overall: 35 3/4 × 20 1/2 × 17 1/2 in. (90.8 × 52.1 × 44.5 cm)
Classification
Woodwork-Furniture
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1923
Accession Number
23.147.3
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 t...