Francisque Chaleyssin (Lyon, France, 1872-1951).
In 1896, Francisque Chaleyssin inherited -together with his brother Joseph- the Chaleyssin company, founded in 1867 by their father. Joseph held de position of manager and Francisque, a sculptor by training, that of artist. In 1912, the small company associated with the Parisian house Mercier and became Mercier & Chaleyssin. The first pieces, in the 1920s, were English in spirit or reminiscent of Louis XVI, but with influence of Paul Follot. At that time, the production focused on a timid Art Deco that still did not dare to assert itself. In 1923, on the death of his brother, Francisque Chaleyssin found himself alone in charge of the company. He hired his son-in-law André Ducaroy, a true designer of modern furniture made during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1925, during the Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, Francisque Chaleyssin presented a composition, a sideboard-secretary, which earned him the honours of the Lyon and Paris press. Around 1930, amid the ocean liner era, the Mercier et Chaleyssin house took part in the fitting out and interior decoration of many of them. In 1934 they parted ways with Mercier. Francisque Chaleyssin, considered less modern and creative than his son-in-law, remained a leading figure. Chief administrator of the School of Fine Arts, he founded a decoration class and in the 1930s he was president of the Lyon regional committee of Applied Arts. During World War II, the factory was content to fill ongoing orders and reverted to a more classical furniture design. After his death, the company closed in 1960.
