Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Known for his elaborately carved chinoiserie and Japonisme furniture inspired by East Asian motifs, Gabriel Viardot was one of France’s most famous cabinetmakers during the late 19th century.
Viardot’s career began in 1849 as a woodcarver for Maison Jeanselme, cabinetmakers to the court of Napoleon III. Shortly after, at age 19, Viardot opened his own business, designing and creating small furniture and decorative objects.
In 1853, Viardot’s enterprise grew into a factory and store, Viardot Frères et Cie, which he operated with his brother Alexandre Laurent. The brothers enjoyed moderate success with their finely sculpted pieces and objects, winning a bronze medal at the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris. However, the two parted ways the following year. Alexandre Laurent kept the company, while Viardot began his own firm, called G. Viardot.
Throughout the late 1860s and ’70s, Viardot dedicated himself to designing and producing chinoiserie and Japonisme furniture. Many of his pieces, such as side tables, consoles, pedestal tables and chairs, feature exquisite embellishments in mother-of-pearl, ivory and gilt-bronze and are made with lacquered and embossed panels imported directly from China and Japan. (The art of Japanese lacquer goes back some 9,000 years.) Some of Viardot’s most sculptural creations are his full-length floor mirrors and wall mirrors framed with carved mahogany dragons and cherubs.
Viardot participated in numerous major European exhibitions and fairs, scooping up medals and accolades for his pieces. In 1867, he won four medals at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, followed by a silver medal and gold medal at Antwerp’s Universal Exposition in 1878 and 1884, respectively. He also won gold medals at Paris’s Exposition Universelle in 1889 and 1900. In 1885, Viardot was named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.
By 1880, Viardot’s company had become one of the largest furniture manufacturers in Paris, with up to 100 sculptors and cabinetmakers employed. Following his death in 1906, Viardot’s son Gabriel Léon Jules Viardot and son-in-law Georges Isidore Jean Dupont took over operations. However, competition from other furniture makers and the rise of Art Nouveau led to the company’s eventual closure.
Viardot’s pieces continue to be highly sought by interior designers and collectors of late 19th-century furniture.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of antique Gabriel Viardot mirrors, tables and decorative objects.
19th Century French Antique Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Steel
1890s English Campaign Antique Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Rope, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Rope, Wood
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Pine
1820s English George III Antique Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Mahogany, Upholstery
Late 19th Century French Aubusson Antique Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1940s French Louis XVI Vintage Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Walnut
1880s French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1990s French Modern Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Beech
19th Century French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot Chairs
Wood
