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Side chair

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Side chair

ca. 1795-1800

Jean-Baptiste Sené

French, 1748 - 1803

A wonderful example of Sene's finely executed carving is seen in the lions' heads that decorate the armchairs in this suite of four chairs. Each bears a proud, but individually distinct expression. The animal heads, paw feet, and vertical reed-like decoration are elements from the Louis XVI Etruscan style. These chairs, however, were made during the Directoire (1795-1799), the government of the French Republic. They exhibit a simple form and natural, ungilded wood that reflects the austere republican spirit and rejection of the excesses of the monarchy. Jean-Baptiste Sene, an important cabinet maker in the court of Louis XVI, survived the revolution by adopting the restrained style of the Directoire.
Mahogany and fabric
The Plestcheeff Collection
97.44.1.4
location
Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "The Plestcheeff Collection", May 8, 1998 - December 3, 1999

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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