Louis 15th Furniture
French Period Furniture – Louis 15th (1715 – 1774)
The son of Louis 14th was only five years old when his father died and too young to take the reign. The Duke on Orleans was appointed Regent and took control until his death in 1723.
Changes happened in this time and the extravagant grandeur of the court was no longer. The country was not as wealthy and people lived a much quieter presence.
Changes in social standings were occurring, the aristocracy began to marry the more humble but now wealthy middle classes, bankers, merchants etc. The grand mansions that once were ostentatious and full of extravagance were replaced by smaller more intimate homes.
This meant that the style of furniture had to change to meet the peoples new demands. It needed to be smaller, it stayed ornate but the once masculine forms were replaced by softer prettier feminine lines. Therefore the furniture became more elegant with more ornamental decoration.
The major feature of Louis 15th Furniture is the shaped work of the curves. This commenced in Louis 14th ‘s reign and was expanded upon to the extent that there was barely a straight line or, flat surface visible.
Fronts and sides of cabinets were curved in plan and elevation, which required a high level of skill for the craftsmen to apply the veneers, then there was the elaborate decoration that was usually inlaid. Guilded mounts in place of carving continued its trend.
The cabriole leg (French Version) was at it’s most popular during this period. It was similar to the English, their’s had a high-pronounced knee adjoining a square at the top and the bottom usually was completed with a club or claw and ball foot.
The French had a more flowing shape, it did not have the square at the top, the shape flowed into the rails or had a concave curve upwards and the foot was usually scrolled.
The most common of timbers used at this time were, boxwood, rosewood, mahogany, walnut, tulipwood, sycamore and ebony. Guilding and lacquering were also popular at this time.
There was a reaction to the elaborate Rococo work near the end of Louis 15th’s reign and the revival of the classical spirit began in Louis 16th’s reign.
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