Side chair 1815 - 1819

This side chair was made in New York by Charles-Honoré Lannuier, likely sometime in the first two decades of the 19th century. Lannuier was a French émigré, and his furniture embodies the visual codes of the French Empire style. You see this in the chair's classical motifs: the lyre, the gilded leaves, and the general emphasis on symmetry. These motifs weren't just aesthetic choices; they were potent symbols of Republican values, alluding to ancient Greece and Rome. In post-revolutionary France and the early American Republic, such symbolism was a powerful statement of political identity and aspirations. It’s worth remembering that at this time furniture making was an important and highly competitive industry. To fully appreciate this chair, we can research primary sources like Lannuier’s original workshop drawings and business records, as well as period documents describing the tastes and values of his clientele. Through such historical investigation, this object reveals how art is embedded in a specific social and institutional context.