Vintage French Beechwood Folding Field Easel, c.1960s Lefranc & Bourgeois

Some objects carry their history in their patina, and this one wears it beautifully. A genuine folding sketching easel by Lefranc & Bourgeois — one of the most storied names in French art materials, a house whose roots reach all the way back to 1720 and whose colours have passed through the studios of Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse. In 1965 the two great rival colour houses of Lefranc and Bourgeois joined forces, and this easel comes from that celebrated era, its small brass maker’s plaque still proudly in place.

Crafted in warm beechwood that has mellowed over the decades into a rich, honeyed tone, it was made to be carried — folded down and tucked under an arm, taken out to a riverbank, a vineyard, or a sunlit café terrace, then opened up in moments to catch the light before it changed. The three legs splay into a confident, self-supporting tripod, and the tall central mast rises to hold a canvas at just the right angle for working en plein air. You can almost picture where it’s been.

Age has been kind to it: the joints are still sound, the timber glows, and the honest marks of use only add to its character. It looks every bit as at home standing quietly in the corner of a room as it does out in the field — equal parts working tool and sculptural object.

A rare find for the practising painter, the collector of artist’s ephemera, or anyone who simply loves a beautiful old thing with a story to tell.

• Maker: Lefranc & Bourgeois, France
• Era: c.1960s
• Material: Solid beechwood with brass fittings and maker’s plaque
• Type: Portable folding field / sketching easel
• Condition: Good vintage condition, sound and stable, with a lovely aged patina
• Folds flat for storage and transport with it’s original leather strap
• Dimensions : 80cm when folded. Legs expand from 75cm to 125cm. Each part of the easel is fully adjustable to suit a canvas or painting of any size.