Jean-Baptiste III Lelarge

Chairmaker (1743–1802), master in 1775

The son and grandson of Parisian chairmakers, Jean-Baptiste III Lelarge earned his mastership in 1775 and took over the workshop of his father, Jean-Baptiste II. He ranks among the finest chairmakers of the reign of Louis XVI, catering to a prestigious French and international clientele that included the King of Portugal. His seat furniture is distinguished by its harmonious balance: robust without heaviness, of rigorous construction and impeccable joinery. The ornamentation, consistently restrained, is limited to fine mouldings or crisp, well-distributed carving, devoid of excess. The medallion back dominates his production and remains relatively well-represented today. It frequently rests upon two incurving uprights adorned with acanthus leaves—an elegant hallmark of Louis XVI Neoclassicism.