The sofa with a cartouche-shaped backrest, the arched molded top rail centered by a heart-shaped motif flanked by leaf tips, the padded armrests, raised on molded voluted supports, the serpentine-fronted seat raised on cabriole legs carved at the knees with flowerheads ending in leaf-carved toes.
Stamped M.Gourdin for Michel Gourdin (Master in 1752)
Louis XV period, circa 1755.
Unfurnished and unupholstered.
The Gourdin Dynasty:
Jean Gourdin, known as Pere Gourdin was appointed maître-menuisier in 1714 and installed his workshop in the 'rue des menuisiers parisiens', the rue de Cléry. Patronised by the marquis de Bercy and the duchesse de Mazarin in 1737, he employed the stamp until his two sons, Jean-Baptiste and Michel were also raised to the maîtrise in 1748 and 1752, after which he stamped his oeuvre 'Père Gourdin'.
Michel Gourdin, his Younger son also worked rue de Clery for thirty years.
Excellent craftsman, he worked in the style Louis XV, then transition then Louis XVI
Between 1770 and 1772, he delivered seats for the cabinet of Marie Antoinette, probably via his(its) private furniture storehouse. In 1777, him(it)
In 1777, he was appointed supplier of theRoyal familly.
Le “mobilier National” preserves seats carrying its stamp.
He also created seats for the prince of Condé.
Some of his work can be seen at the Windsor Castel and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Ref :
P.Kjellberg “Le mobilier français au XVIIIe siècle”
Madeleine Jarry « Le siège Français »
Caroline Legrand « Les Gourdin menuisiers du XVIIIeme », L'Estampille/L'Objet d'Art, April 2004.
Artiste:
GOURDIN
