Category Archives: Baroque

The monarchs of France known as Louis XIII, XIV, XV, and XVI have given us a lasting impression of their place in history through their rich tapestry of influences from Europe. Whether it is as the dashing and chivalrous men and their motto “one for all and all for one” from The Three Musketeers, the baroque opulent palace of Versailles, a cabriole leg in a Rococo chair or the classical motifs from the discovery of Pompeii, long live the Louis Louis Louis Louis.

Louis XIII Late Renaissance Period

(27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) reigned as King of France and Navarre from 1610 to 1643.  He married a Habsburg princess, Anne of Austria (1601-66), daughter of Philip III of Spain (1578-1621) at the young age of 14.

Louis XIII furniture was influenced by the Italian Renaissance mixed with elements of Dutch and Flemish designs. The pieces were heavily carved in walnut and ebony and the arm chairs were generally upholstered in tapestry from the Beauvais looms. Table and chair legs sat on bun feet above H-form stretchers which held the frames together.

 

I had to mention this interesting chair called a caquetoire, or conversation chair which was predominately used during the French Renaissance. The name caquetoire comes from “caqueter” which means to chat in French.  I learned about this chair when I attended the American Institute of Interior Design and always enjoyed saying it (pronounced Khaki-Twah).  This chair is associated with a chatting group of women that would sit in them and talk. The seat is not rectangular but more like a trapezoid so the women could fit comfortably with their layers of skirts and petticoats in the chair. These chairs were also made from walnut rather than oak so the chair could be elaborately carved.

Louis XIV Baroque Period

 

(5 September 1638 - 1 September 1715) ruled as King of France and of Navarre. His reign began at the young age of 4 and lasted 72 years signifying one of the longest in French monarch history. Louis XIV is popularly known as the Sun King because he ordered that France and his court revolve around him like the planets revolve around the sun. He married Maria Teresa of Spain, the daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain and his Queen Elisabeth of Bourbon

Louis XIV’s monarchy was greatly influenced by my namesake, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who served as his minister of finance from 1665 to 1683. He worked tirelessly at improving the state of French manufacturing and bringing the French economy back from the brink of bankruptcy. Despite Colbert’s efforts, France became increasingly impoverished because of the King’s excessive spending on wars.

Colbert was an integral force in reforming and improving markets directly related to the manufacturing of interior design products such as textiles, and tapestry works at Gobelins and Beauvais.  Colbert issued more than 150 edicts to regulate the guilds. One such law had the intention of improving the quality of cloth. The edict declared that if the authorities found a merchant’s cloth unsatisfactory on three separate occasions, they were to tie him to a post with the cloth attached to him.

Andre Charles Boulle was the cabinet-maker to King Louis XIV and was one of the greatest of the cabinet makers that worked with ebony. The technique of an ebineste was to inlay wood with shells and metals creating a mosaic on the surface.  He further decorated his work with chiseled mounts of ormolu and bronze, carved and gilt ornaments. Marble and granite were used for table and console tops, and fine tapestries for upholstering; all combining to create a style in perfect harmony with the pomp and glittering splendor of the baroque Louis XIV age.

This period of design is known for its splendor and magnificence.  The furniture was large in scale with elaborate ornamentation.  The chief woods used in cabinetmaking were oak, walnut, chestnut, and ebony, with ornamental portions frequently done in rosewood, sandalwood, tulipwood, and various exotic woods. Gobelin tapestry and Lyons velvet were the principal upholstery materials.

 

Louis XV Regency/Rococo Periods

15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774  ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1 September 1775 until his death on May 1774. He married Marie Leszycynska, Queen of France. She lived most of her life secluded in rooms at at Versailles palace.  Meanwhile Louis XV had a succession of mistresses one of which is the famous courtesan Madame de Pompadour.

Madame de Pompadour was an accomplished woman who had a tremendous influence over the style of the Rococo period by employing trendsetting shopkeepers in many of the styles of the time. She adored pastel colors and Chinoiserie motifs.  The classic pink of Sevres porcelain rose de pompadour is named after her along with the hairstyle and a shoe.

The period of French Rococo is marked by a departure of the orderliness of classical design by using free form and asymmetrical movements, C and S scrolls, cabriole legs, and motifs of plants, shells and flowers. The Chinoiserie style also came out of this era, which was born out of the importation of porcelain, silk and lacquer from China and Japan to Europe.  The word is from “chinois” which means Chinese in French.  The Chinoiserie style features pagodas, dragons, landscapes, and Asian figures in the textiles, porcelains, paintings and furniture in the designs.

Louis XVI Neoclassic/Revolution/Directoire Periods

Louis-Auguste de France (23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793 in Paris) ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792.  On 16 May 1770, at the age of fifteen, Louis-Auguste married the fourteen-year-old Austrian-born Archduchess Maria Antonia von Habsburg-Lothringen (better known by the French form of her name, Marie Antoinette), the youngest daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and his wife, the formidable Empress Maria Theresa.

During the Reign of Terror, at the height of the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI were imprisoned, convicted of treason and executed by guillotine. The tradition of neoclassical furniture had a second phase after the reign of Louis XVI known as the Directoire period.

 

This neoclassic period is a return to simplicity and order in design. Brought on by the discovery of the ancient city of Pompeii, a return to the art and design of Greece and Rome was the basis of this style. Marie Antoinette is credited with adopting the neoclassical style in furnishings and interiors in France. She was responsible for making small pieces of furniture that suited the furnishings of her apartment at Versailles. Did you know the town of Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby, is named after Louis XVI?

 

If you have not become a Francophile by now, hopefully you have gained some insight and appreciation of this lovely period of interior design. Please let me know how I can assist you in bringing some of this history and beauty into your home.

Au revoir

Charisse Marie Colbert, CMC Design Studio