A PAIR OF NAPOLEON III GILTWOOD TABOURETS

The supplier of these tabourets was the celebrated Parisian tastemaker and interior designer Madeleine Castaing (née Magistry, 1894-1992). She married the art critic Marcellin Castaing at the young age of 16 and the two enjoyed a long and loving marriage lasting over 50 years. Marcellin and Madeleine were well known in literary and artistic circles and counted leading artists including the composer Satie and the painters Zborowski, Modigliani, Picasso and Soutine among their close friends. In fact, the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York contains a portrait of Madeleine by Soutine entitled La Petite Madeleine des décorateurs. As the painting's title indicates, Madeleine was known as a leading interior decorator in her life, who not only sold but also designed pieces for her clients. An innovative decorator, she often boldly combined various styles in her interiors and was known as "la grande dame de la décoration" and "la diva de la rue Jacob".