1847-1919 • French — Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley was a Parisian cabinetmaker who specialized in the manufacture of luxurious French furnishings. Much admired for his 19th-century interpretations of Louis XV designs, his extraordinary works earned him a Gold Medal at the Paris Exhibition Universelle of 1889. After working alongside his father for many years, Alfred Beurdeley became the successor to his family’s prosperous furniture manufacturing enterprise in 1875. The company specialized in high-quality, 18th-century revivals and his extravagant style captured the attention of wealthy Parisians eager to decorate their estates with rare and important Louis XV and Louis XIV-style furnishings. Beurdeley exhibited his works at the International Exposition of 1870, the Amsterdam Exposition of 1883, and the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889. Shortly after obtaining the prestigious honor of the Gold Medal in Paris, Beurdeley closed his shop in 1895, sold his famous collection, and spent the remainder of his life in seclusion. In the short span of 20 years, Beurdeley made an indelible mark on the history of 19th-century French furnishings, for his creations remain among the finest of the period.
