A set of six Empire white-painted parcel-gilt chaises from the Château de Fontainebleau, attributed to Pierre-Antoine Bellangé, circa 1810 (£6,000-9,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2013. (Click on image to enlarge). UPDATE: THESE MADE £7,500.
Two of the chairs in an elegant interior setting. Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2013. (Click to enlarge).
A set of six empire white-painted parcel-gilt chairs c 1810 from Napoleon’s Château de Fontainebleau, attributed to Pierre-Antoine Bellangé, come up at Christie’s South Kensington on May 1. They are believed to date from Napoleon’s restoration of the chateau and have Château de Fontainebleau inventory marks. Napoleon is seen in a chair apparently from the same set in Paul Delaroche’s painting of the 1814 abdication at the Château de Fontainbleau currently at the Musée de l’Armée in Paris. Pierre-Antoine Bellangé was one of the most important fournisseurs to the court of the Emperor, supplying furniture to imperial palaces including Fontainbleau, Saint Cloud and the Tuileries. The chairs, to be offered as part of The Brian Juhos Collection, A Domaine in Southern France, are estimated at £6,000-9,000.
The collection of Brian Juhos displays a taste for the sumptuous that has been the hallmark of his style as a decorator. The 500 lot sale of his personal collection includes Old Master, Impressionist and sporting paintings, European furniture, works of art and lighting, porcelain, sculpture, garden furniture and decorative objects. Estimates range from £500 to £40,000.
UPDATE: The collection made £1,607,687.