A fauteuil is an open-arm upholstered chair where the wooden frame remains visible around the back and sides. These seats were built for formal rooms and salons. The open arm design distinguishes them from fully upholstered armchairs, allowing the carved wood to form part of the decoration.

How do I identify Louis XV and Louis XVI styles?

Louis XV style armchairs show flowing asymmetric lines, curved cabriole legs, and organic rococo carving. They lean towards softness and fluid movement. Louis XVI style chairs feature straight fluted legs, geometric shapes, and neoclassical symmetry with oval or rectangular backs.

Were these chairs always made in pairs?

Makers constructed many salon chairs in matched pairs or larger sets to furnish symmetrical spaces in nineteenth-century homes. Pairs allowed balanced placement flanking a fireplace or console table. Individual chairs occasionally survived separately, but finding a matched pair preserves the intended decorative layout.

What woods were used for the frames?

Cabinetmakers selected dense hardwoods such as walnut, mahogany, beech, and oak to support the structural weight and carving. Softer woods like beech also accepted paint and gilding effectively. Exotic timbers such as goncalo Alves and rosewood appear in select decorative examples from the period.