Louis XVI French Painted and Caned Dining Chairs, 1880s, Set of 12

A very elegant set of twelve painted and caned dining chairs in the Louis XVI taste, retaining their original blue paint. The chairs are carved and painted wood, with caning to the backs and seats. Each has a carved bow on the seat back, with rosettes to the tops of the legs and the centre of the seat. They have an exquisite patina with gilded details. The caned backs and seats are painted with a lozenge design, and each chair comes with a squab cushion.
These late 19th-century French Louis XVI caned chairs with a distressed painted finish represent the essence of the neoclassical revival of the period. Oval seat backs, contoured seats and tapered legs create the timeless architecture, while the hand-carved adornment sets these chairs apart. Spiral ribbon motifs encircle the entire apron, with rosettes on the front plinth blocks above the square tapered legs. The seat backs are carved with laurel wreaths all around and are topped with further carvings. The original caning on the seat backs is intact.
The blue painted finish has achieved a naturally worn appearance that is particularly charming, revealing the undercoat for a splendid “shabby chic” effect. Circa 1880. Probably two of the chairs were made later. The chair seat height is 45cm.