Antique French Side Chairs in Hand Carved Maple Wood, 1820, Set of 2

Exquisite pair of hand-carved French side chairs from the early 18th century Charles X, maple wood, recently reupholstered in red velvet and wax polished, belonged to an aristocratic Venetian family from Asolo

The Charles X style is typical of the bourgeoisie
The Charles X style prevailed above all in nineteenth-century bourgeois society, the true leading class of the time: modernly classical, dignified and elegant in its forms, although far from the magnificence of the Louis XIV, XV and Louis XVI style, the Charles X style can be credited as the last of the great styles of the past. The bourgeoisie, eager for novelty, willingly adhered to stylistic innovations, of which they appreciate the variety and gracefulness of the furnishings.
Its shapes are graceful and slender and the shades become lighter
with the imposition of Charles X on the throne, we witness a progressive softening of the stylistic solutions, starting from the shapes and lines in the furnishings which become more graceful, minute and rounded, up to the choice of the color of the wood, which sometimes it is clear and bright. The woods most used in the production of Charles X furniture are maple, ash, plane tree and yew, which literally oust the darker mahogany. In the new style there is an almost feminine tendency, both in practicality and in lightness, in stark contrast to the militaristic philosophy that had dominated the Napoleonic season, which culminates in the “en tulip” motif.
The decorations are more delicate and of a medieval imprint
The decorations of the Charles X style furniture are more graceful and sweet than those that dominated the Empire style. Wooden inlays are preferred – made of dark essences on light bases – and tor sur ton decorations, instead of the bronze ornaments and metal applications so fashionable in the Napoleonic period. There is also a return of Gothic decorations, pinnacles and vaults with pointed arches, as well as swirl and spiral motifs, typical of the Middle Ages. The decorative motifs linked to the war and military experience are definitively abandoned, replaced by leaf ornaments, garlands, animal figures, palmettes, cornucopia and tendrils.
Comfort is the watchword
The pursuit of comfort and practicality is preferred to the typical grandeur of Empire furnishings. The furnishings are designed to be more comfortable and functional, without sacrificing elegance. Thus, the gondola-shaped back is widespread in the seats, characterized by decorative threads on the upper back and on the front crossbar, while the armrests are padded and characterized by volute or double volute motifs, or swan neck.