18th Century French Bedroom Bench by George Jacob
About the Item
- Creator:Georges Jacob (Cabinetmaker)
- Dimensions:Height: 35.44 in (90 cm)Width: 63 in (160 cm)Depth: 23.63 in (60 cm)Seat Height: 19.49 in (49.5 cm)
- Style:Directoire (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1795
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Ready to be placed. Great colour and patination, minor old restorations. The seat newly upholstered in sumptuous bottle green Lelievre gauffrage velvet mohair.
- Seller Location:Richmond, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1781238422082
Georges Jacob
Georges Jacob became one of the finest Parisian maîtres ebénistes (master cabinetmakers) of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, despite his humble beginnings and lack of formal training. Renowned throughout Europe for his opulent Louis XVI designs and grand gilt work, Jacob attracted royals, nobiles and other wealthy clientele.
Jacob was born in 1739 to a peasant family in Cheny, Burgundy. At 16, he moved to Paris to become an apprentice to chairmaker Jean-Baptiste Lerouge. While working for Lerouge, Jacob met Louis Delanois, a young menuisier (carpenter) who specialized in seating. Delanois’s distinct Rococo style and neoclassical taste influenced Jacob, whose own talents for design led him to become a maître ebéniste, in 1765.
In 1767, Jacob opened his first furniture-making business, employing several gilders, carvers and joiners to handcraft his designs. His atelier ornately decorated beds, armchairs, benches, screens and center tables with giltwood motifs such as fluting, beading, ribbons and guilloches. Word spread of Jacob’s exceptional furniture among the European elite, capturing the attention of Queen Marie Antoinette, Sweden’s King Gustav III, the United Kingdom’s King George IV and several German princes.
However, in 1789, Jacob lost several of his aristocratic clients at the onset of the French Revolution. Despite his associations with French royalty and nobility, Jacob survived the revolution with the help of his friend, Republican painter Jacques-Louis David.
In 1796, Jacob retired and left his business to his two sons, Georges and François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter, also known as Jacob Frères. Under the ownership of his sons, the workshop became a furniture supplier to Emperor Napoleon.
Jacob’s pieces are held in the collections of several international museums and collections, including the Chateau de Chantilly and Chateau de Fontainebleau; the Louvre and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, in Paris; the Wallace Collection, in London; the Museum of Fine Arts Boston; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York.
On 1stDibs, find a selection of antique Georges Jacob seating, tables, case pieces and storage cabinets.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Richmond, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Antique 18th Century French Bedroom Bench or Window Seat by George JacobBy Georges JacobLocated in Richmond, LondonA fine French late 18th century bench / window seat or banquette, of great colour and desirable generous proportions. Stamped G.Jacob. France, circa 1795. Why we like it A handsome, timeless design. With its curved sabre legs at either end, this bench relates to the ancient Greek 'Klismos' seats, often seen depicted on Attic pottery...Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Directoire Benches
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Antique Painted Bench or Settee, ex-Madeleine Castaing, after design by ChapuisBy Jean Joseph ChapuisLocated in Richmond, LondonA very decorative 'curule' settee, late 19th century after a design by Jean-Joseph Chapuis. Provenance: Madeleine Castaing, Maison de Lèves, Chartres, France. Why we like it Besides the iconic provenance, this bench is a great example of the 19th century design, informed by classical antiquity. Decorated in the exotic 'Etruscan' style to simulate patinated bronze, with its dramatically exaggerated curves, evoking the ancient Roman 'sella curulis' - a symbol of magisterial power, this settee is truly a special example of its kind. A squab cushion covered in a fabric complimenting other textiles in the existing interior will complete the look of this super-stylish bench. Provenance – Madeleine Castaing Together with a pair of armchairs en-suite (sold by us in may 2022), this settee was photographed in the vestibule at Maison de Lèves near Chartres - country house of the iconic French interior designer and antiques dealer Madeleine Castaing (1894–1992). Madeleine married the heir and art critic Marcellin Castaing – the legendary love of her life – who in the 1920's acquired a neoclassical gentilhommière at Lèves, that she had been admiring since her days in a convent school nearby, for her to "unwind" as he explained. The house would become one of her masterpieces as she discovered her own vocation for interior design. Extant photographs reveal a number of changes that had been made to the interiors over time. The writer Maurice Sachs once wrote about Madeleine's passion for her home: “The constant transformations she made to the estate kept her as busy as the world can keep a socialite…”. The contents of Maison de Lèves as well as Castaing's Rue Jacob...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Belgian Neoclassical Benches
MaterialsWood, Cane
- 18th Century Needlework PictureLocated in Richmond, LondonA charming petit-point needlework picture of floral design, in its original convex moulding frame. English, late 18th century.Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Georgian Tapestries
MaterialsWool
- Pair of 18th Century Hall ArmchairsLocated in Richmond, LondonAn outstanding pair of George II period hall armchairs in black walnut, of unusual 'Windsor' design. England, circa 1740–50. Why we like them Items that are not merely quirky, but...Category
Antique Mid-18th Century English George II Chairs
MaterialsWalnut
- 18th Century Chinese Reverse Mirror PaintingLocated in Richmond, LondonFabulous late 18th / early 19th century reverse mirror painting in original green lacquer Chinoiserie frame. China, circa 1800. Why we like it The painting depicts a lady of the up...Category
Antique Late 18th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Paintings and Screens
MaterialsMirror
- 18th Century Chippendale Chest of DrawersBy Thomas ChippendaleLocated in Richmond, LondonA superb quality George III Chippendale period serpentine-fronted chest of drawers. English, c. 1770. Why we like it A most perfect embodiment of the Chippendale taste: superb quali...Category
Antique Mid-18th Century English George III Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- French 18th Century BenchLocated in Atlanta, GAA lovely 18th century bench from the South of France. Soundly constructed from richly stained pine. Beautiful patina.Category
Antique 18th Century French Benches
MaterialsPine
- French 18th Century Primitive BenchLocated in London, Charterhouse SquareAn 18th Century French primitive style small bench, in beautifully aged oak, with fold-out side table and single drawer under the seat.Category
Antique Mid-18th Century French Benches
MaterialsWood
- Late 18th Century French BenchLocated in Stockbridge, GALate 18th century French bench cover with Aubusson tapestry.Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XIII Stools
MaterialsTapestry, Walnut
- 18th century French Rustic BenchLocated in Charleston, SC18th century French handmade rare, simple rustic bench/table with wide board weathered top supported by four sturdy legs. This is a good antique condition with age, small cracks, din...Category
Antique 18th Century French Benches
MaterialsOak
- French 18th Century Louis XVI Painted Wood Armchair by George JacobBy Georges JacobLocated in Berlin, DEFrench 18th century Louis XVI painted wood armchair by George Jacob (1739-1814) A Louis XVI period armchair or fauteuil "en cabriolet' made ca. 1775-1779 showing the stamp of Georges Jacob (1739-1814). The carved paintwood fauteuil with round and slightly curved padded back and seat within a moulded French Grey paintwood frame showing a beautiful original patina, on fluted tapering legs. The armrests with scroll ends and partial upholstery. The armchair or fauteuil upholstered in the French tradition with an elegant linen fabric copying a Louis XVI silk jacquard with a traditional colorful ribbon&flower ornament on a vivid blue ground. Georges Jacob was one of the most prominent Parisian chair...Category
Antique 1770s French Louis XVI Armchairs
MaterialsWood, Linen
- Pair of 18th Century French "Chauffeuse" Chairs, Georges Jacob AttributedBy Georges JacobLocated in Doylestown, PAAn important pair of Louis XVI Period "Chauffeuse" or low fireside chairs, in original grey painted finish, with lyre backs and upholstered seats, on fluted legs. Provenance: From the Estate of noted collector, Paul W. Doll, who purchased the chairs in 1952 at Park-Bernet Auction from the estate of Mrs. Theodore Havemeyer. (see photo of catalog). Attributed to Georges Jacob, circa 1780. Georges Jacob (6 July 1739-5 July 1814) was one of the two most prominent Parisian master menuisiers. He produced carved, painted and gilded beds...Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Chairs
MaterialsBeech
