A fine pair of French Louis XVI period, painted beechwood fauteuils stamped, “C. SÉNÉ”, by their maker Claude Séné II. The fauteuils are decorated with carvings of flowers and leaves resting on tapering fluted legs.

The fauteuils have been reupholstered in a document, French silk damask from Tassinari & Chantel in Lyon, France.

Claude Séné II

Claude Séné II belonged to a third generation of master joiners (maîtres-menuisiers). He was the son of Claude Séné and younger brother of Jean-Baptiste-Claude Séné, one of the most important chair makers of the Louis XVI period after Georges Jacob. His chairs were very similar to those by his brother in terms of elegance and design, but since they were not destined for the royal court, they usually had simpler decoration. However, even though Séné II mainly worked for the aristocracy and privileged few, he did receive some commissions from the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne.

Séné II was accepted as a master joiner in 1769 and appears to have worked with his father until 1780 when he took over control of the workshop. He worked from Faubourg-Saint-Denis until he had to file bankruptcy in 1783. One year later, he resumed activity and opened a workshop in rue de Cléry, close to his older brother, but his production ceased with the French Revolution. He specialized in producing fauteuils mainly with shield-shaped backs and some with square backs. A number were gilded or painted, and some he produced in mahogany.

Provenance
Claude II Séné, Paris, France
Private Collection, Paris, France
Mary Helen McCoy Fine Antiques, Charleston, South Carolina