Francesc Vidal pair of armchairs, ca. 1900

FRANCESC VIDAL JEVELLÍ (Barcelona, 1848-1914).
Pair of armchairs, ca.1900.
Walnut frame, velvet upholstery.
Measurements: 96 x 70 x 74 cm.
Pair of modernist armchairs designed by Francesc Vidal. The quality of the carving can be appreciated in every detail: the dragons that decorate the armrests, the crenellated profile of the backrest, flanked by volutes, the cylindrical feet that synthesize the claw feet of the classic furniture... The cabinetmaker was inspired by different styles of the past and channelled them towards the current of Catalan modernisme, of which Vidal was a prominent member.
A cabinetmaker and decorator, Francesc Vidal travelled to Paris to direct the exhibition of his father's bookbinding exhibits at the Universal Exhibition of 1867, and there he had the opportunity to meet other young artists, to study at the School of Decorative Arts and to travel repeatedly around Europe. In 1878 he established himself as an art dealer, and in 1883 he inaugurated a building designed by Vilaseca, an unusual polytechnic complex, where he would work intensively from then on in the production of quality furniture, as well as its complements in glasswork, metalwork and foundry. Rigalt and Masriera collaborated in his studio in the foundry, and Joan González, Gaspar Homar and Santiago Marco worked as designers. Vidal's clientele included the gentry and official corporations, and he made the furniture designed by Gaudí for the Güell Palace. He exerted a great influence on the society of his time, and was a patron of talented young artists such as Pau Casals, Isaac Albéniz, C. G. Vidiella, etc. Simón Gómez, in portraying this outstanding cabinetmaker, painted perhaps the finest portraits in Catalan painting of his time. Works by Francesc Vidal are currently conserved in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and in the Museu Nacional d'Arts Decoratives, as well as in important private collections.