19th-Century Venetian Carved Figural Throne/Open Armchair, in the Manner of Andrea Brustolon

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Certainly, the photos have stopped you in your tracks. Other than the ubiquitous recliner, few chairs have offered as much … Read more Certainly, the photos have stopped you in your tracks. Other than the ubiquitous recliner, few chairs have offered as much seated experience as those by Andrea Brustolon (1662–1732). Brustolon, a highly acclaimed Italian sculptor in wood, was a leading figure of the Venetian Baroque movement. He is renowned for transforming furniture design into high art, a skill that earned him the nickname "the Michelangelo of wood" from the novelist Honoré de Balzac.
Looking at this chair, you’re unlikely to be surprised that Brustolon was profoundly influenced by the High Baroque style of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, whom few could equal for monumental scale and dramatic flair. With similar exuberance, the highly sculptural nature of Brustolon’s work has been widely influential, leading to numerous 19th-century reproductions and pieces like this one created "in the manner of" an homage to his distinctive style.
The most striking feature of this chair is the elaborate carving of human figures which appear to emerge from the wood and form the structural curve of the arms. The stretcher base, connecting the legs, is heavily carved to resemble gnarled branches or roots. A Prussian blue cut velvet upholstery adds the perfect complement for one’s “throne,” or more modestly, a fireside chair. Now where’s that bottle of port? See less