Charming French Louis XVI Lyre-Back Side Chair Late 18th Century - 33½"

This low Louis XVI side chair, France, late 18th century, presents an oval back carved with a finely modeled stylized lyre above a deep, narrow seat newly refreshed in neutral linen and finished with braid trim. The carved beech frame retains its pale grey-white painted surface, now softly timeworn and weathered with scattered edge losses that add character. The molded seat rails and tapered stop-fluted legs, terminating in toupie feet, reinforce the elegant neoclassical vocabulary. The frame remains stable and overall in good condition.

The lyre, an emblem of Apollo, became a hallmark of Louis XVI design, symbolizing harmony and refinement. Chairs of this type were often destined for music rooms or salons, where their sculptural backs doubled as decorative focal points. Fluted legs, echoing classical columns, and the restrained grisaille palette reflect the neoclassical return to antique ideals after the Rococo period.

Today, this chair introduces a lyrical accent to a wide range of interiors. It sits beautifully beside a writing desk or vanity, flanks a console in an entry, or serves as an occasional chair in a music room, bedroom, or library. Its quiet palette and elegant carving pair naturally with Gustavian, Directoire, and Regency furniture, while also providing a refined counterpoint in modern interiors. In a bathroom or dressing room, it becomes an elegant perch for a folded towel, a stack of linen, or a small tray of bath essentials, adding neoclassical poise and texture while preserving a sense of lightness and grace.