The Louis XIV Style

The seventeenth century closed with the furniture of Louis XIV, a style which ever since that day has been misunderstood and misused. It was designed by a man named Andre Boulle, who, with his brother artists, perfected a type well suited to pompous and luxurious court life. It was heavily ornamented with shell and brass in what was called the rococo style of decoration. The legs of tables and chairs were at first straight and then carved, inlaid and veneered with gilt or brass. The furniture, although ornate, was consistent with its surroundings, and was not without beauty, inasmuch as beauty of construction was never lost sight of.

The Louis XV Style

By the time of the beginning of the reign of Louis XV French furniture had changed somewhat in its character. Decoration grew more and more ornate, and the magnificent and stately extravagance of Louis XIV turned into a daintier but no less extravagant style. There was more variety in design and a larger use of carved metal ornament and gilt bronze. Shells, shaped foliage, roses, seaweed, and strings of pearls elaborated all designs, and were introduced principally by Charles Cressant, a great artist of that time. There are still existing many beautiful examples of his work. Some of the wood which he used was left in the natural finish, but more often it was painted, enameled, gilded, and carved. The legs of his chairs were curved and the arms and backs were also curved, carved, and gilded. Gobelin, Ambusson, and Beauvais tapestry, with Watteau designs, were used for the upholstery. An air of gayety, richness, extravagance, and beauty was given by all the furniture of this time, which, while not fitting in with our modern ideas of beauty as applied to use, still was well adapted to its own time.

Transition From Style Of Louis XV To Style Of Louis XVI

Toward the latter part of the reign of Louis XV the furniture became too excessively rococo in style, due to the influence of another artist, Jules Aurele Meissonier, who brought into French use some phases of the decadent Italian taste of that time. He believed in putting curves and convolutions everywhere, broke up all straight lines, and disregarded all rules of symmetry. He carried the rococo style to its limit in lavish decoration, and as his power of invention was marvelous, his output of designs was very great. The furniture designed after the ideas of this man was not beautiful and is too often accepted by people to-day as the typical style of Louis XV. The greatest contribution of this later furniture of Louis XV was of a negative character. By its extreme extravagance it brought about a reaction against the ornate rococo school which influenced all succeeding furniture making.

The Louis XVI Style

Louis XVI furniture is in pleasant contrast. It was characterized by simplicity of construction and severity of ornament. The rococo details disappeared, and once more antique models were sought for decorations as well as for forms. Straight lines replaced flowing scrolls, horizontal bands superseded fantastic moldings, cupid and rose-garlanded panels gave way to rectangular spaces decorated with classic emblems. In chairs and tables the supports were fluted, tapering slightly at the base. The oak leaf, laurel, and bay leaf were often used in the scheme of decoration. Gilding, inlay, and enamel were still often used, but during this period the first mahogany was imported, and many beautiful pieces of furniture were constructed of the new wood alone. The furniture of Louis XVI shows its relationship very strongly to the furniture of Louis XV. It is quite remarkable that a style which was the direct outgrowth of a former period should have so completely absorbed all of the good qualities and none of the bad qualities of its predecessor.