Jean-Joseph Chapuis, cabinetmaker

This chair is an early example of the use of bent and laminated wood in furniture making. Its legs, composed of laminated layers of mahogany, were steam-bent into U-shaped sections. The caning and the slender, tapering legs enhance the light appearance of the form, which is embellished with gilded fittings and painted decoration.

The Chapuis firm of Brussels created many versions of this chair. The form is based on a Neoclassical design first produced in Paris by the firm Jacob Frères (later Jacob-Desmalter), the makers of the stool and console table also on display in this gallery.