FRENCH AND EUROPEAN FURNITURE
Welcome to our tutorial on French and European furniture traditions, the major periods, designs, designers, and models that have so greatly influenced furniture making in Europe as well as the entire world.
The heritage of French and European furniture both occupy a very special position in the history of furniture making as the birthplaces of two of the most influential themes of antique furniture, the baroque and the rococo styles.
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ANTIQUE FRENCH FURNITURE
In the English speaking world our attention is mostly focused on the traditions of English and American furniture. However, we are always aware of the great debt we owe to the heritage of French furniture.
Empire armchair in solid mahogany and mahogany veneer on beech, with gilt bronze
mounts and covers of silk damask
Classic French furniture is characteristically, highly decorative, elaborately executed, innovative and above all, stylish. French furniture designers of the period would decorate their furniture, and then decorate the decoration while placing a great deal of emphasis on display, pomp and grandeur.
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FRENCH FURNITURE PERIODS
MAJOR PERIODS OF ANTIQUE FURNITURE IN FRANCE
Baroque
Louis XIV, "The Sun King" imposed magnificence. In its' design, faces of gods, bearded fauns, nymphs, arabesques, cornucopia and foliage abounded. The splendor and glory that is baroque furniture is best seen in the furniture of this period.
Rococo
The romantic and whimsical rocaille designs of the rococo style have their roots in the French Regency period. During this period, lines had a new fluidity while still retaining some of the symmetry of the preceding Baroque. In the era of Louis XV, the rococo style came into full fruition with curved lines and asymmetry becoming the rule.
Classical Revival
In the late 18th century, and during much of the 19th century, furniture designers returned to the heritage of the classical world of Greece, Rome, and Egypt. This is clearly seen in the Transition, Louis XVI, Directoire, Empire, Restoration and Louis Philippe styles. To a lesser extent it is also seen in the reproduction furniture so popular during the era of Napoleon III.
French Country Furniture
The types of designs we deal with in the major periods are those of the royal palaces and the great homes and mansions of the era. For most ordinary people today, French country furniture seems to hold the greatest interest. However, those people of higher social status and greater wealth will most often gravitate towards the pure period designs of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. In our tutorial we have placed greater emphasis on these styles.
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Louis XIV
Baroque
1642 - 1715
By the time of the reign of Louis XIV. the French Renaissance had lost most of it's Italian origin and had developed a character all it's own. Louis XIV was a man with extravagant tastes and with France being one of the wealthiest countries in Europe he was able to indulge in his passion for arts and crafts. The country had many fine skilled craftsmen with enormous talent and nothing was too good or too expensive to be made. The most outstanding of these craftsmen was Andre Charles Boulle who experimented with the Italian art form of Marquetry in brass, copper, tortoiseshell and ebony. This work is now commonly
referred to as "Boulle work".
The Palace of Versailles was commissioned by Louis XIV and was furnished with the finest and richest work that could possibly be produced. Much was destroyed during the French Revolution of 1789, but what remains today is still extravagant splendor. In stark contrast, England at the time was producing simple walnut furniture. However, with Charles II return from years of exile in France, he introduced many of the French designs and ideas to his native England.
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French Regency
Regence Furniture
1715 - 1723
The French Regency, also known as the Regence period, refers to the transitional period between the demise of Louis XIV and the accession of Louis XV to the French throne. Due to the minority of Louis XV, France was ruled for an eight year period by Philippe, the Duke of Orleans. Regency furniture is sometimes classified
as another phase of the Baroque period and the furniture crafted during the reign of Louis XIV. Among
notables, Charles Cressent, the master cabinetmaker, was to the Regency period what
Andre' Charles Boulle had been under Louis XIV.
A French Regency Interior & Furniture
In the designs of French Regency furniture a very asymmetrical, organic style begins to emerge with the use of natural motifs. These forms became very popular and were used by many furniture makers of the period such as Mondon, Dubois, Godreaux, Joubert and Doirat as well as metal smiths and other craftsmen.
It is in the work of the master metalworkers of the period such as the goldsmiths and bronzesmiths that the best expression of Regency furniture design can be seen. Mounts of ormolu and gilt in the form of
asymmetrical scrolls, floral and cockleshell motifs predominate the designs of this period. Asymmetrical
as if refers to the design refers to the ornamentation applied to either side of a piece of furniture which
did not match exactly. The curvaceous style of the Regency years developed into the later rocaille
or Rococo designs of the Louis XV period.
Regency Salon
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Louis XV Furniture
French Rococo
1723 - 1774
By the time of the reign of Louis XV, the sometimes overbearing and ornate designs of the earlier Baroque furniture of Louis XIV had gradually fallen out of favor, having been replaced by what is termed the rococo. Masterpieces were created under Louis XV and this time is viewed by many as the high point in French furniture design. With its' great popularity and desirability, the rococo designs of the Louis XV period underwent numerous revivals over the subsequent centuries. With many foreign masters such as Bernard Van Risen Burgh and Vandercruse known as Lacroix coming to Paris to work at the court, mid 18th century French furniture is renowned for its’ expert craftsmanship and careful attention to detail.
French Rococo
Louis XV Style
The major characteristics of the rococo style, sometimes called Louis XV, are asymmetry, elegance, lightness and the most exquisitely minute and careful decorative accents such as marquetry and parquetry inlays. In French rococo furniture we see great use of interlacing cockleshell decoration, flower and plant motifs, "C" scrolls and cymas or "S" scrolls. The cabriole leg terminating in a whimsical scroll at the foot was also refined and used to a great extent. It was also during this period that France became captivated with all things Chinese. This fascination with Chinese motifs was called "Chinoiserie" and the newly discovered Chinese method of painting called lacquering was usually used in the the painting of wood furniture. Fabrics and wall coverings were often designed with Chinese motifs and it is not at all uncommon to find some Louis XV furniture that bears this Chinese influence.
Louis XV Console Table
Social Influences
on Rococo Design
Middle Class Residences
In the middle of the eighteenth century, France saw the wealth among it's middle class citizens increasing. This increased wealth lead to the building of many beautiful and elaborate residences, each with their own varied needs for furnishing and an effort on the part of their owners
to show off their riches and sophistication.
Social Customs
In the salon, social gathering in royal palaces as well as ordinary homes developed into almost an everyday
occurrence. As a result, there was now more concern with both comfort and convenience. This lead to the making of smaller armchairs, sofas or canapes, and other furnishings. During this period many new types of furniture made their debut, with greater emphasis on matching tables, consoles, sofas, chairs, stools, footstools, and mirrors with each other.
Louis XV Salon
Rococo Furniture Makers
The master craftsmen of Paris dominated French cabinetmaking during the Louis XV era. The various guilds of craftsmen sought to enforce strict divisions between the different arms of furniture design and making. Cabinet makers or furniture joiners, also known as "menuisiers", were allocated all work that used wood including tables, cupboards, beds and many other items. Intricate carving, however, was not permitted to be done by the menuisiers except for simple ornamentation of their own design. All decorative and extensive carving was reserved solely for the sculptors’ guild. While ordinary furniture makers could attach ormolu decoration to their pieces, they were not permitted to actually make the ormolu mountings themselves.
However, royal cabinet makers who had been given special privileges along with workshops in buildings owned by the crown were free from any guild regulations.
French Rococo Style Armchair, 1750
Chairs, sofas, and some case furniture similar to that which was being crafted by the menuisiers was created by master craftsmen known as "ebenistes". Although not forbidden, it was rare to combine the professions of a menuisier and an ebeniste. Furniture of the period produced by the ebenistes was richly veneered often with elaborate marquetry and parquetry inlays. The ebenistes also designed some ingenious features into their creations such as complex mechanisms for drawers with fall fronts and secret compartments that could be revealed by the touch of a button. An example of this can be seen in the personal desk of Louis XV. The cylinder desk known as the "Bureau du Roi" which features several of these secret compartments is on display today in the drawing room of Louis XV at the Palace of Versailles. Upholsterers of the period also made their own significant contributions to French rococo furniture.
"Bureau du Roi" Cylinder Desk
The Decline and End of Rococo Design
Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, the Madame de Pompador, played a very important role in the decline in popularity of the extremely decorative rococo style. Although she was the focus of the king's passion for only five years, she remained his friend until her death in 1764. It was when she and many others of the mid to late eighteenth century took up a keen interest in the remains and artifacts of the civilizations of ancient Rome and Greece, this great interest in past civilizations helped usher in the period of neo classical furniture.
Transition
Transitional Style
The Transition period refers to the time between the rococo designs of the Louis XV style and the neo classical designs of Louis XVI. The Transition style is clearly distinguished by the juxtaposing of designs and ornamentation specific to the Louis XV period with the straight lines and angles used during the subsequent Louis XVI period. The typical Transition period piece presents a more angular Louis XVI style case from which the central panel of the frontage is attached as a slightly advanced "projection" while still set on the typical cabriole legs of the Louis XV period. Furniture in general during this time is comprised of fewer different pieces and models. Marquetry is becoming less visible but is still found in the form of some floral motifs such as flowers in vases and baskets. Parquetry being more geometrical is quickly becoming the more popular choice for wood inlays. Lacquered panels made of coromandel (calamander) wood are in vogue. The asymmetrical rococo bronze ornamentation used so extensively during the Louis XV period has begun to evolve into the more sober neo classical designs of Louis XVI and is reserved mainly for pull handles on drawers, lock plates, outlines of angles, gallery rails and feet. The rare wood veneers used during the Louis XV period are still found, lacquer is used for finishing, and bronzes are gilded using the same plating techniques as before.
Transitional Commode, 1774
Parquetry inlays of tulipwood, kingwood and other woods, on an oak frame, with gilt-bronze mounts and a red griotte marble slab.
The commode's curved legs and outline are combined with the geometric pattering of the parquetry inlays and classically inspired gilt-bronze mounts. This combination of design elements reflect the transitional period that separates the highly decorative Rococo design from the much more sober Neoclassical style that followed.
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Louis XVI Furniture
French Neo Classical Style
Louis XVI - 1774 - 1792
In the years just prior to the accession of Louis XVI to the throne of France, almost the exact opposite of the Rococo furniture of the preceding Louis XV era is seen. Strongly influenced by the archaeological discoveries of the time at Pompeii and Herculaneum, some of the character of the interiors and furniture of the ancient classical civilizations of Rome and Greece were revealed. A new form of furniture design, the neo classical, began to dominate the designs of French furniture during this period.
Louis XVI Sofa or Canape
Characteristics
of Neo Classical Design
In the furniture of the Louis XVI period there is a strong emphasis on straight lines, right angles and logical design. This represented a sharp move away from the graceful curves of the preceding rococo design. With the use of wreathes, carved friezes, fluted columns, oak and laurel leaves, the Greek band, along with other neo classical attempts to imitate the furniture and architecture of the ancient Roman and Greek civilizations, the furniture of this period became much more restrained both in its' form and decoration.
Side Table, circa 1800
Frame of oak, pine and walnut. Veneered with African ebony, tortoiseshell and stained wood; gilt-bronze mounts
Important Influences
Louis XVI's queen, Marie Antoinette, the daughter of the all-powerful Maria Theresa who reigned in Vienna, is usually given a great deal of credit for the existence of the neo classical style of the period. She was responsible for numerous commissions that resulted in the creation of many pieces of furniture that suited the furnishing of her apartment at Versailles.
Marie Antoinette's Bedroom
A reproduction of Queen Marie Antoinette's bedroom at the Little Trianon, in Versailles
The French Revolution
The demise of the Louis XVI style was the downfall of the king himself in 1789 as a result of the French Revolution. It is at this time that the furniture of France lost its position of dominance. However, the
neo classical design of Louis XVI furniture did continue on into a second phase, known as
Directoire and Consulat furniture.
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Directoire & Consulat
to Empire
The period of Directoire and Consulat furniture is often classed together with that of the First French Empire and is covered in more detail in the remainder of our tutorial, covering the years from 1793 - 1880.
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