Artwork on Furniture

With her unique artistic talent, LaParlière creates museum quality pieces of “Artwork on furniture” 
which provide the owners with lasting enjoyment each time they are used ​and which become heirlooms for generations to come. 

Captain Desk (heirloom for a ship broker from India back in 1813)

Personalized theme on Florida St John River, dear to the owner

3 different approaches of Art Work on furniture

3 screens: 3 different styles…

LaParlière’s creations:both are life size armoires, the carriage clock: 6.6’H,  the fantasy: 9’H

“Clock Armoire”

That early piece has been created by Maryvonne LaParliere. Her idea was to enlarge a
carriage clock and make it an armoire!
What is a carriage clock?
Carriages clocks were invented in France for traveling in the early 19th century and first
designed by A.L. Breguet for the emperor Napoleon in 1812 .
Breguet, born in Switzerland, made his career in France as an horologist and watchmaker.
He is the founder of the Bréguet Company, luxury watch division of the Swiss Swatch
Group.
They were also known as “officers’s clocks.” Why?
It was once told that… Napoleon faced a situation on the battlefield where he had to wait for
his officers…Quelle horreur for an active and impatient man…So he wondered if they could
carry a clock with them to remind them of the time…and to be on time…
Breguet was the one who succeeded in defying the law of gravity, adapting the size of the
mechanism to accomplish the miracle of creating those small spring-driven clocks.
20th century:
A cabinet maker, V. Golson, from Santa Barbara brought alive Maryvonne’s design. She
then applied her artistry! The face of the clock has been painted in trompe l’oeil, so that
some people ask if the clock was in good working order! What a compliment! Maryvonne
had to choose a time. Well …it would be her birthday time in France .
Both sides of the armoire are French influenced with fabric, passementerie, cherubs. The
peaceful scene of a shepard and shepherdess has been inspired by a 19th century painting
reminding Maryvonne one of her favorite childhood story “Heidi”.
It has been gilded all around and on the hand carved handle using 24 Karat gold leaf.
And if we open the door, there are shelves inside: it is indeed an armoire; no mechanism to
tell time…sorry.

The Life Armoire

This is an important armoire (almost 9’ tall x 58” W x 24” D) entitled “Life” designed and hand
painted by French born artist Maryvonne LaParlière. It has been built in heavy pine and painted
with Acrylic paint.
It is the result of several months of work and the perfect example of her skill in 3D, painting what
she terms “Artwork on Furniture”, treating such a piece as her canvas.
She is a precursor of this technique of furniture painting.
The “Life Armoire” is not only a showcase of her abilities but also an act of free expression.
LaParlière combines techniques of Trompe l’oeil, marbling, impressionism, realism and surrealism
to effectively create varied scenes that flow and intermix in harmony.
She remarks “I allow myself to express my different moods, feelings, memories and dreams all at
once, it is a very human work and you can notice the happiness first, the energy, vitality, the child’s
heart, but also the strength, power and mystery.”
Maryvonne grew up in France near Paris and then in the Loire Valley. This piece is under the
influence of her rich cultural, historical and artistic heritage.
One can notice the night blue drape with “fleur de lys” wrapping around a winter scene, the royal
coat of the Sun King, Louis the XIV with its ermine lining. A bright orange sun is setting above
the candleholder traditionally used every evening in a ceremony at the palace of Versailles when
the Sun King went to bed. Related symbols appear: sun flowers, monarch butterflies and then by
association, butterfly fishes swimming in a deep ocean.
The little equestrian statue emerging from the mist, comes from the gardens of Versailles.
The red robe sliding mysteriously inside the door is the one worn by the Cardinal de Richelieu, a
powerful ruler and fine strategist of the 17th Century, also a patron of the Arts and a part of the
fictional novel of the 3 Musketeers. He resided in the same town where LaParlière grew up, Rueil
Malmaison.
An abundance of flowers on the left side in an impressionistic scenery are watered by a wild
running stream, near which a bird is peacefully nesting, as well the beautiful white swan on the
front, both symbolizing, purity, love, union, beauty, water and earth connected..
On the right side (the last part painted) one feels the American influence. The scene overlooks a
forest of Colorado yellow aspens, which overhang an Arizona canyon. Above this, in the middle of
a long aisle of trees, a wolf is howling (Maryvonne owned then, an Hybrid wolf in California), under
the crisscrossing of the intriguing branches and the full moon… searching for some answer?
To help in discovering both the wonder and detail of her huge creation, LaParlière has added a
humorous touch: little wings on each side to facilitate that journey.
At last, you open the doors and are struck by flashes of gold on a fuchsia colored background.
Above the inside frame is painted a royal emblem with the latin verse “Nec Pluribus
Impar”: “Tout lui est possible”!

Feminine bedroom with 2 elegant pieces painted in soft pastels French style

2 different French style design: soft floral on this double door and pastoral scenery (inspired by Oudry’s panel, painter for Louis XIV) 

2 trunks : first inspired by Currier & Ives,  second, imaginary winter scene 

Trunk with children at play and floral, ( gift from a generous grand mother to her grand daughter), Large table top covered with a reproduction of a Biedermeier style painting, Panels in Réveillon Style on double door in a Loire Valley château;

“Fan Cabinet (Maryvonne’s creation): very intricate…It opens from the top + shelf inside and  snow scenery Tall “Fruit Cabinet”  built upon Colonial style.

Reproduction of a famous painted chest  Early American. ( It is not that simple to reproduce the look of a primitive painting and keep the originality and style of the previous artist…!) A simple little cabinet in the shabby chic style.

This was a very special project… Sculpture of a geisha life size in stainless style, created by Pascal (Beverly Hills- CA) LaParliere was commissioned to create the design of the kimono and paint it, (several have been done)