Beschreibung:

the rectangular shaped backs with detailed acanthus leaf carving at each arm, on turned tapering reeded fluted legs, two chairs stamped Sené, 61cm wide, 94cm high, 56cm deep ***Claude II Sené, was the youngest son of Claude I Sené and brother of the celebrated Jean-Baptiste-Claude. He originally worked on the rue de Faubourg-Saint-Denis and became master of his workshop in 1769, but unfortunately had to file for bankruptcy in 1783. A year later he resumed his business and set up his own studio on the rue de Cléry, close to that of his brother. It is likely he would have received a few orders of work from the Crown; however it seems that he worked mainly for private clients. The studio was forced to stop production with the start of the Revolution, but Claude II leaves behind him the legacy of great Louis XVI chairs; elegant, well designed and delicately carved. His most popular armchairs à la reine (with flat, shield shaped backs), appear to take their model from his elder brother Jean-Baptiste (examples of which can be seen in the musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris), although not being intended for the court, they are decorated with a more restrained simplicity. They also reflect designs created by a prominent furniture maker of the time, Georges Jacob who was frequently commissioned to create elegant suites of furniture for Queen Marie Antoinette’s apartments at Fontainebleau, Versailles and Saint-Cloud. It is often difficult to distinguish between the works of Claude II and his father, Claude I, who continued working until 1780. However, his father's works are more characteristic of the early Louis XV style involving more elaborate rococo elements, whilst Claude II is more characteristic of the neo-classical Louis XVI style. Although there is no initial on the stamps of these particular chairs it is most likely the work of Claude II as his stamps were of a smaller script than Claude I.