19th Century French Napoleon III Period Empire Style Painted Sofa ~ Canape

Description

19th Century French Napoleon III Period Empire Style Painted Sofa ~ Canape with cut silk velvet recalls the glory days … more 19th Century French Napoleon III Period Empire Style Painted Sofa ~ Canape with cut silk velvet recalls the glory days of Napoleon and Josephine creating what many experts consider to be one of the most elegant and formal of all French designs! The neoclassical architecture of this exceptional example includes a subtly arched seat back crown, tapered, carved and fluted columns supporting the armrests and the seat. Adorning the entire frontal facade of the framework are a variety of relief carvings exhibiting artistic influences derived from ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations, all highlighted in gold to provide accentuation and contrast against the patinaed light gray painted finish. Motifs include foliates, wheat, tridents, rosettes, lotus blossoms and Corinthian capitals. What is immediately captivating, however, is the luxurious cut silk velvet upholstery that remains in very good condition, even on the back side which allows one to place this magnificent piece in the middle of a room if so desired!
As of this writing, two original matching armchairs ~ fauteuils are available!
Circa 1870s
Measures 42.5H x 54W x 23D; seat 19H less