A pair of Régence carved giltwood fauteuils, circa 1720

These fauteuils (armchairs) are upholstered in remarkable needlework retaining its rich, vibrant colours. The form of the chairs is typical of the French Régence style, moving away from the formality and grandiosity in decoration during the pinnacle of Louis XIV’s reign. While elements of decoration had begun to relax during Louis XVI’s old age, it was during Philippe d’Orléans’ reign as prince regent during Louis XV’s minority that this trend accelerated. The heart of aristocratic life moved away from Versailles to Paris, where more intimate salons replaced formal hierarchies and rituals at the centralised palace. In chair design, this change manifested itself as a softness expressed in curvaceous forms: in many senses, this is the first phase of the Rococo style, though with more restraint and symmetry than the Rococo would later display. The pierced carving and the scallop shell motif on this fauteuil are typical of Régence decoration, as is the broad seat with armrests set further back than the front legs, a shape which is set to have developed to accommodate the increasing width of hoop skirts in early eighteenth-century womenswear.