A pair of Russian giltwood and mahogany armchairs, 19th century

Acquired from Mallett, London in 1996.

The swan, because of its association with Venus's swan-drawn carriage, was chosen as a symbol by Empress Joséphine in the early 19th century and quickly provided a popular support for beds and seat furniture. The present bergères are inspired by a design by Percier and Fontaine, for set of four which were made by François-Honoré-Georges Jacob Desmalter for Empress Josephine's boudoir at the Palace of Saint-Cloud, illustrated by Denise Ledoux-Lebard, Le mobilier français du XIX siècle: 1795-1889. Paris, 1984, p. 335.

The influence of the French Empire style and of Desmalter were important on Russia craftsmanship. A pair of Russian mahogany armchairs with giltwood swan supports in the Valet's Room at Pavlovsk Palace, made by Karl Scheibe and gilt by F. Koelne are illustrated in A. Chenevière, Splendeurs du Mobilier Russe, 1989, p. 157, fig.152.

A virtually identical pair of bergères was sold from the Roger Prigent's Malmaison, Christie's, New York, 26th November 2002, lot 62 (and are now in the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal); and another pair was sold at Sotheby's, London, 24th and 31st May 1985, lot 128. A suite consisting of a settee and two bergères after the present design were sold at Sotheby's, London, 17 November 2010, lot 468.