Image via Phillips
Image via Phillips
The chair itself, like the walls of the study, is embellished with straw marquetry, a particular Frank favorite. This marquetry has a shimmery effect not unlike satinwood, but is very delicate to say the least .
Image via Phillips
The marquetry here is regularly set in planks. I think it is best utilized at angles in sunburst effects as seen in a detail from the cover of Putnam's 1980 book on the artist.
The chair is priced at $90,000-110,000 which is a fairly odd increment and immediately makes me think that it is likely aggressive. That said, it is from a rare commission and according to the provenance it has not been on the market since Delorenzo Gallery sold it to a Connecticut collector in 1977. We will have to wait until December to see where it goes....AR.
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A handsome chair and a handsome study. There are plain surfaces, but the luxury is in the inlay, a subtle effect of quality. I think I prefer the linear inlay. Especially for the whole room, the sunburst inlay would be dizzying ad overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteDear Aestheticus, I once had the pleasure of visiting the Bischoffsheim/Noailles house in Paris, when it was empty, somes years before Baccarat took it over. The small study there, just off the fabled parchment salon, is lined entirely with straw marquetry by Frank and Chanaux. Extraordinary little space, octagonal as I recall. The Aesthete
ReplyDeleteI have been several times and never noticed, thanks for the tip.--AR
ReplyDeleteDelicious, I adore you decorating and architectural sleuthing, as it is most enightening and intriguing. Reggie
ReplyDelete