Photography — SG-FR-005
Stitt Gallery · SG-FR-005 · France 🇫🇷
The Piece
An elegant three-panel folding paravent in the Louis XVI taste, crafted in France during the Belle Époque, circa 1885–1910. The carved giltwood frame carries neoclassical detailing, each panel inset with caned sections, mirrored glass, and — most notably — original 18th-century engravings attributed to the printmakers Macklin & Baudouin.
The screen is a versatile piece: fully extended it serves as an architectural room divider or decorative backdrop; folded, it becomes a sculptural object in its own right. The warm glow of the water-gilded frame, the patina of antique mirror glass, and the graphic interest of the engravings give it remarkable visual depth.
Paravents of this quality were produced for sophisticated Parisian and provincial interiors during the late-19th-century Louis XVI revival — valued both as functional screens and as vehicles for displaying fine prints. French private collection; acquired by Stitt Gallery.
Specifications
| Style | Louis XVI taste — three-panel paravent |
| Period | French Belle Époque, c.1885–1910 |
| Height | 183 cm |
| Width (extended) | 136 cm (3 panels) |
| Depth (per panel) | ~10 cm |
| Frame | Carved giltwood, water-gilded |
| Panels | Caned sections, mirror glass, 18th-c engravings |
| Engravings | Attributed to Macklin & Baudouin, Paris |
| Condition | Excellent (frame & cane); gilding & mirror Good |
| Weight | ~30 kg |
| Gallery Ref | SG-FR-005 |
Photography — SG-FR-005
Construction & Detail
Carved from a hardwood substrate — most likely limewood (Tilia europaea) or beech — and finished in dorure à l'eau (water gilding). Fluted pilasters, rosette corner bosses and running pearl moulding in the neoclassical taste; the carving is crisp and well preserved.
The open cane (cannage) sections are hand-woven from rattan peel in the traditional hexagonal pattern. All panels are firm and intact — no re-caning required. The cane lets light filter through while keeping the screen visually light.
Two mounted engravings on laid paper with visible plate marks, stylistically consistent with the Parisian printmakers Macklin & Baudouin, active in the late 18th century. Full attribution — plate numbers and series — is pending specialist print-history research.
Period mercury-silvered glass, showing the gentle foxing and soft reflections characteristic of 19th-century manufacture. The patina is consistent with age and original to the piece.
This piece forms part of our collection of European and Asian antiques available at Stitt Gallery, Poznań.
€2,450
This piece is available for private sale. We welcome enquiries from collectors, interior specialists and institutions. Viewing by appointment in Poznań. Shipping to Europe and internationally arranged on request.
Gallery reference: SG-FR-005 · stittgallery.com
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