Louis XVI style Giltwood Sofa after a Model by G.Jacob, France, circa 1880

Richly carved gilded wooden sofa, upholstered in pink silk decorated with Japanese motifs, imagined after the 1788 model made the cabinetmaker and carpenter Georges Jacob (1739-1814) and the gilder Louis-François Chatard (1749-1819) for the Louis XVI “Games” Salon at the Castle of Saint-Cloud.

Composed of more than 60 pieces, this set was ordered on October 31st, 1787. Georges Jacob initially provided 18 seats, 12 with an upright back intended to be placed along walls (“à la Reine”) and 6 with a back shape intended to be used in the centre of a room (cabriolet armchairs). February 21st, 1788, 4 other chairs “à la Reine” were ordered for the “Salon of Games”. The copy preserved at the Metropolitan Museum, New York, inventory number : 07225107, stamped by Jacob, is one of the latter. A pair of these chairs is also presented at the Louvre Museum (OA 9449 a, 94449 b).

Jules Hardoin-Mansart built the Saint-Cloud Castle at the end of the 17th century for Philippe d'Orléans, brother of Louis XIV. Marie-Antoinette then bought the castle in 1785. Refurbishment works were undertaken under the direction of the architect Mique, followed by a renewal of the furniture. Jacob’s 12 seats were placed in the Salon of Games, axial room of the castle, lighted by three casements on the courtyard.

Biography :
After he became a master in 1765, Georges Jacob (1739-1814) worked from 1773 to the French Revolution for the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne. His clientèle included Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette, the royal family, and in particular the comte de Provence (future Louis XVIII), the comte d’Artois (future Charles X), the prince de Condé, the duc de Penthièvre and foreign courts. In 1785, he created the first mahogany chairs ‘à l’anglaise’ for the comte de Provence. He launched the Etruscan style when delivering a set of sculpted mahogany for the dairy of the Rambouillet Castle in 1788. He also took part in the furnishing of the Petit Trianon in Versailles. Thanks to the painter David, Georges Jacob went through the revolutionary period without particular problems. He retired in 1796, and his sons succeeded him, but came back soon after to help his sons delivering the furniture for the imperial residences, including Napoleon 1st’s.