The Voyeuse chairs were
designed for sitting astride, with the top of the back padded for the occupant
to rest arms on. 18th century gentlemen used them for card night. Voyeuse chairs
were usually positioned with its back facing towards the players and the gaming
table in the periphery of the gaming activity.
Here is a
good example of Voyeuse chairs in Jacques Garcia’s Chateau du Champ de Bataille, and they
are situated in the Salon Louis XV. More will be said about Jacques Garcia and
his work on subsequent postings as he represents one of my favorite French
designers.
 |
| Voyeuse Chairs in Jacques Garcia’s Chateau du Champ de Bataille |
It is interesting how the French have specific names for various types of chairs. The "voyeuse" is sometimes confused with a "prie-dieu" which also has short legs, tall back and extended top rail, but used for prayer instead of gaming -- although perhaps prayer was sometimes used during gaming too, but not kneeling.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for your blog. You're off to a great start!