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Lannuier, French-born American cabinetmaker lived and worked in New York City. In Lannuier's time, the style of his furniture was described as "French Antique." Today his work is classified primarily as Federal style, Neoclassical, or American Empire.
In Paris, Lannuier worked primarily in mahogany, with limited amounts of satinwood and rosewood veneer inlays. Early pieces show the influence of late Louis XVI-style furniture. After moving to the United States, Lannuier benefitted from the more stable economy and access to exotic hardwoods, which allowed him to work on a larger scale using solid pieces of precious woods.
Lannuier's earlier work included sideboards, commodes, worktables, dining tables and chairs, and game tables. As the Empire style became more entrenched, and his success grew, Lannuier produced larger, more expensive pieces including sofas, cylinder desks, and bedsteads. While his pieces are considered within the Empire style, Lannuier's work is distinct for being more delicate and for recalling the refinment found in the Directoire style. Examples of Lannuier's furniture can be seen in the White House Red Room, the Albany Institute of History and Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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