Daybed (lit de repos)

François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter|Jacob Frères|Georges II Jacob

ca. 1795–1803 · Mahogany and mahogany veneered on beechwood; gilt bronze, bronze, lampas · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

The sphinx-shaped arms suggest a date soon after Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign which is confirmed by the stamp of JACOB FRERES/R. MESLEE used by the Jacob firm only between 1795 and 1803. The daybed must have supported several Bonapartes, for it bears the inventory mark of the Château de Neuilly, where two of Napoleon’s sisters lived, first Caroline Murat and later Pauline Borghese, as well as marks for the Château de Trianon, the Palais des Tuileries, and the Château de Villeneuve l’Etang.

Artist

François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter|Jacob Frères|Georges II Jacob

Date

ca. 1795–1803

Medium

Mahogany and mahogany veneered on beechwood; gilt bronze, bronze, lampas

Culture

French, Paris

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1971