Benjamin Rabier

BENJAMIN RABIER (France, 1864–1939).
Children’s Chair, The Frog’s Song, c. 1935.
Beech wood.
It exhibits slight wear consistent with age and use.
The painting is signed by the artist.
Measurements: 35 x 34 x 29 cm.
Children’s chair made of bent beech wood following Thonet designs, decorated with frog motifs, belonging to the distinctive animal world of Benjamin Rabier, one of the most popular French illustrators and cartoonists of the early 20th century. Rabier brought his unique imagination—based on animals with human-like expressions and a humorous character—from paper to other areas of popular culture, including children’s furniture.
Rabier collaborated on the design and decoration of children’s furniture made of bentwood, particularly on models associated with the Baumann firm, which incorporated his recognizable depictions of animals. Examples decorated with cows, cats, rabbits, dogs, and frogs are known to exist, some of which feature the artist’s signature integrated into the decoration. This piece is a unique example of this body of work, in which illustration, design, and craftsmanship come together to create an object intended for children.
Benjamin Rabier achieved great popularity thanks to his unmistakable comic style and his depictions of anthropomorphized animals. Among his most famous creations are the character Gédéon, the duck, and the image of the cow that would later inspire the well-known French brand La Vache qui rit.