Pair of French Moderne Trompe l'Oeil Plaster Side Chairs c. 1960s

In French Moderne decorative arts, plaster was treated as a sculptural material in its own right, not a finish. Used by designers in the circle of Serge Roche to give furniture the weight and surface of carved stone. These chairs are solidly cast, heavier than they look, the matte white surface carrying a faint chalky depth. The back panel is worked in high relief on both faces: gathered fabric caught at the column stiles, falling in full folds, and finishing at the lower rail in a row of tight pleats. The seat repeats the illusion. Volute finials cap the stiles; the legs taper straight and narrow below bracket-form corner blocks at the seat rail. Style: French Moderne, Neoclassical Materials & Techniques: Solid cast plaster, trompe l'oeil relief Place of Origin: France Period: c. 1960s–70s Sold as a pair.