Description

These eighteen chairs come from the Golden Gallery in Palazzo Carrega Cataldi in Genoa, the entire decoration of which was directed by Lorenzo De Ferrari in the last years of his life, between 1740 and 1744. The backs of the chairs are wonderfully decorated with a sheaf of willow branches fastened with ribbons and leaves that skillfully turn into bigger leaves and finally become grotesque masks in the corners. The legs are embellished with further leaf decorations and a delicate female head is carved in the middle of the front rail. This set of chairs is exceptional, first of all for the number of its components, but also because it brings together two very different styles: Roman baroque and French classicism, which are joined here in a late-baroque experiment, a unique occurrence in 18th century furniture.