A Lesson in French Furniture Louis XVI Style
October 24th, 2011 adminFor many reasons big and small, furniture from Louis XVI times are very much in vogue, a true quirk of events in my book, but variety is what makes this wonderful world turn around, isn’t it? So, while it would make virtually no sense whatsoever to own a Louis XVI arm chair, that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be the perfect match for elegant decor in someone else’s home.
How would one characterize Louis XVI style, anyway? In historical terms, it would be the pivotal point between Roccoco and Neoclassism, being more toward the latter movement. Distancing itself from the ornate style during Louis XV’s reign, a natural progression toward a more simple yet elegant design followed. During this period simplicity embracing straight lines were en rigeur, and finishing touches were borrowed from ancient Greece and Rome. Louis XVI was captivated by the excavation of Pompeii, and so you could say that the French borrowed upon the ideas of Roman architecture, motifs and monuments.
With Louis XVI furniture as well as architecture designs, curves are nearly completely eliminated and in their place we’ll see straight lines which is a total turnaround from the Louis XV style. Chair backs are normally rectangular, shield-like or oval, and instead of cabriole (curved) legs we’ll see straight legs, which are fluted in an attempt to mimick the columns of ancient Rome.
Because this period was so highly motivated by the values and paradigms of ancient Rome and Greece, the Louis XVI style is attributed as the Neo Classical style.