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Gabriel Viardot

French, 1830-1906

Known for his elaborately carved chinoiserie and Japonisme furniture inspired by East Asian motifs, Gabriel Viardot was one of France’s most famous cabinetmakers during the late 19th century.

Viardot’s career began in 1849 as a woodcarver for Maison Jeanselme, cabinetmakers to the court of Napoleon III. Shortly after, at age 19, Viardot opened his own business, designing and creating small furniture and decorative objects.

In 1853, Viardot’s enterprise grew into a factory and store, Viardot Frères et Cie, which he operated with his brother Alexandre Laurent. The brothers enjoyed moderate success with their finely sculpted pieces and objects, winning a bronze medal at the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris. However, the two parted ways the following year. Alexandre Laurent kept the company, while Viardot began his own firm, called G. Viardot.

Throughout the late 1860s and ’70s, Viardot dedicated himself to designing and producing chinoiserie and Japonisme furniture. Many of his pieces, such as side tables, consoles, pedestal tables and chairs, feature exquisite embellishments in mother-of-pearl, ivory and gilt-bronze and are made with lacquered and embossed panels imported directly from China and Japan. (The art of Japanese lacquer goes back some 9,000 years.) Some of Viardot’s most sculptural creations are his full-length floor mirrors and wall mirrors framed with carved mahogany dragons and cherubs. 

Viardot participated in numerous major European exhibitions and fairs, scooping up medals and accolades for his pieces. In 1867, he won four medals at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, followed by a silver medal and gold medal at Antwerp’s Universal Exposition in 1878 and 1884, respectively. He also won gold medals at Paris’s Exposition Universelle in 1889 and 1900. In 1885, Viardot was named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur

By 1880, Viardot’s company had become one of the largest furniture manufacturers in Paris, with up to 100 sculptors and cabinetmakers employed. Following his death in 1906, Viardot’s son Gabriel Léon Jules Viardot and son-in-law Georges Isidore Jean Dupont took over operations. However, competition from other furniture makers and the rise of Art Nouveau led to the company’s eventual closure.

Viardot’s pieces continue to be highly sought by interior designers and collectors of late 19th-century furniture

On 1stDibs, discover a range of antique Gabriel Viardot mirrors, tables and decorative objects.

Average Sold Price
$3,671
Materials
Dragon mirror, by Gabriel Viardot, Japonisme, France, Circa 1880
By Gabriel Viardot
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
By Gabriel Viardot. Gabriel Viardot (January 2, 1830 in Paris - March 19, 1904 in Paris) is a Parisian cabinetmaker specializing in the production of furniture freely interpreted "C...
Category

1880s French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot

Materials

Mirror, Wood

Gabriel Viardot - Tea Table In Carved Wood, Napoleon III
By Gabriel Viardot
Located in NONANCOURT, FR
Tea table with two carved wooden trays in which are integrated old Chinese mother-of-pearl panels. This table is signed under the bronzes "GV" for Gabriel Viardot. Model referenced i...
Category

Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Gabriel Viardot

Materials

Bronze

Swivel Bookcase Table by Gabriel Viardot, France, circa 1880
By Gabriel Viardot
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Rare pedestal table / revolving bookcase in Japanese / Chinese / Asian style, richly carved. With red marble top with white veins, openwork swivel shelves and tripod base carved with dragon / demon heads and clawed legs...
Category

1880s French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot

Materials

Marble

Tea Table by Gabriel Viardot, France, 19th Century
By Gabriel Viardot
Located in Paris, FR
Tea Table by Gabriel Viardot (French, 1830-1906). Asian style, trays carved and inlaid with mother-of-pearl decorations. Claw-shaped feet. Cabinetmaker Gabriel Viardot's mark on t...
Category

19th Century French Antique Gabriel Viardot

Materials

Wood

Gabriel Viardot Signed 19th Century French Chinoiserie Music Cabinet
By Gabriel Viardot
Located in North Miami, FL
A magnificent 19th-century French chinoiserie music cabinet created by the renowned artist Gabriel Viardot (France, 1888-1964) graces this exceptional piece, bearing the artist's sig...
Category

19th Century French Antique Gabriel Viardot

Materials

Bronze

Swivel Bookcase Table with Carved Top by Gabriel Viardot, Japonism, circa 1880
By Gabriel Viardot
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Rare pedestal table / bookcase in Japanese / Chinese / Asian style. Richly carved : top decorated with a dragon, openwork swivel shelves and tripod base carved with clawed legs. Ar...
Category

1880s French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot

Materials

Wood

Swivel Bookcase Table with Marble Top by Gabriel Viardot, Japonism, circa 1880
By Gabriel Viardot
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Rare pedestal table / bookcase in Japanese / Chinese / Asian style, richly carved. With red marble top, swivel shelves and tripod base carved with dragon / demon heads and clawed le...
Category

1880s French Japonisme Antique Gabriel Viardot

Materials

Marble

Victorian Mirror with Carved Dragon Attr. to Gabriel Viardot, ca. 1880
By Gabriel Viardot
Located in Berghuelen, DE
A great Victorian mirror in the style of Gabriel Viardot. The mirror in the shape of a painters palette is held by a wooden winged dragon. Manufactured in France ca. 1880. Very good ...
Category

19th Century French Victorian Antique Gabriel Viardot

Materials

Glass, Wood

Browse all Furniture from Gabriel Viardot
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Gabriel Viardot furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Gabriel Viardot furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Gabriel Viardot furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Gabriel Viardot were created in the Victorian style in france during the 19th century. Prices for Gabriel Viardot furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,329 and can go as high as $18,950, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,545.

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