Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Known for his elaborately carved chinoiserie and Japonisme furniture inspired by East Asian motifs, Gabriel Viardot was one of France’s most famous cabinetmakers during the late 19th century.
Viardot’s career began in 1849 as a woodcarver for Maison Jeanselme, cabinetmakers to the court of Napoleon III. Shortly after, at age 19, Viardot opened his own business, designing and creating small furniture and decorative objects.
In 1853, Viardot’s enterprise grew into a factory and store, Viardot Frères et Cie, which he operated with his brother Alexandre Laurent. The brothers enjoyed moderate success with their finely sculpted pieces and objects, winning a bronze medal at the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris. However, the two parted ways the following year. Alexandre Laurent kept the company, while Viardot began his own firm, called G. Viardot.
Throughout the late 1860s and ’70s, Viardot dedicated himself to designing and producing chinoiserie and Japonisme furniture. Many of his pieces, such as side tables, consoles, pedestal tables and chairs, feature exquisite embellishments in mother-of-pearl, ivory and gilt-bronze and are made with lacquered and embossed panels imported directly from China and Japan. (The art of Japanese lacquer goes back some 9,000 years.) Some of Viardot’s most sculptural creations are his full-length floor mirrors and wall mirrors framed with carved mahogany dragons and cherubs.
Viardot participated in numerous major European exhibitions and fairs, scooping up medals and accolades for his pieces. In 1867, he won four medals at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, followed by a silver medal and gold medal at Antwerp’s Universal Exposition in 1878 and 1884, respectively. He also won gold medals at Paris’s Exposition Universelle in 1889 and 1900. In 1885, Viardot was named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.
By 1880, Viardot’s company had become one of the largest furniture manufacturers in Paris, with up to 100 sculptors and cabinetmakers employed. Following his death in 1906, Viardot’s son Gabriel Léon Jules Viardot and son-in-law Georges Isidore Jean Dupont took over operations. However, competition from other furniture makers and the rise of Art Nouveau led to the company’s eventual closure.
Viardot’s pieces continue to be highly sought by interior designers and collectors of late 19th-century furniture.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of antique Gabriel Viardot mirrors, tables and decorative objects.
19th Century French Victorian Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Fruitwood
1880s French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Bronze
1880s French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Bronze
1880s French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Wood
1880s French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Victorian Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Glass, Wood
19th Century Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Beech, Wood
19th Century French Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century European Art Deco Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Copper
Early 1800s English George III Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary French Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Plexiglass, Glass
1820s French Louis Philippe Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
1920s French Louis XV Vintage Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Wood
1930s Art Nouveau Vintage Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Copper
1880s French Gothic Revival Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Griotte Marble
1960s Italian Vintage Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Gold Leaf
2010s American Minimalist Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Other Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Stainless Steel
1880s French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Mirror, Mahogany
19th Century French Art Nouveau Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Wood
1890s French Art Nouveau Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Late 19th Century French Chinoiserie Antique Gabriel Viardot Furniture
Beech