THE BEST SELECTION OF 18TH AND EARLY 19TH CENTURY FRENCH ANTIQUES IN AUSTRALIA
STYLES
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Print | LOUIS XIII 1600 - 1660 |
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| Reign | Henri IV (1589-1610) Louis XIII (1610-1643) Louis XIV (1643-1715) |
| Characteristics | Furniture and chairs are rare with ponderous proportions and austere lines. |
| Decoration | Geometrical shapes, cherubs head, fruits, upholstered chairs with turned legs. |
| Influence | Wars of Religion caused the nobility to move frequently from castle to castle. |
| LOUIS XIV 1661 - 1710 |
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| Reign | Louis XIV (1643-1715) |
| Characteristics | Imposing, majestic image of the Sun King; birth of rocaille symmetrical and rigid. |
| Decoration | Mask, sun, scallop-shell, beginning of marquetry, Boulle, commodes, consoles, day-beds |
| Influence | Louis XIV established life around the court at Versailles (etiquette), France became the art centre of Europe. |
| REGENCE 1710 - 1735 |
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| Reign | Phillipe d'Orlean (1715-1723) |
| Characteristics | Chair becomes more diversified adapted more for comfort. |
| Decoration | Charm, elegance, refinement, suppleness of line, checks with small flowers, espagnolettes. |
| Influence | Court left Versailles, fashion to have more intimate lives, creation of Hotels particuliers |
| LOUIS XV 1750-1775 |
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| Reign | Louis XV (1723-1774) |
| Characteristics | Curved lines, symmetrical rocaille later becomes asymmetrical |
| Decoration | Marquetry, lacquer, vernis Martin, bronzes, porcelain, beginning of secretaires, bergeres. |
| Influence | Taste for natural history, oriental, Chinoiserie, From 1743 the pieces must be stamped. |
| TRANSITION 1750-1775 |
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| Reign | Louis XV (1723-1774) |
| Characteristics | Progressive passage of curved line to straight line. |
| Decoration | Finesse of decoration become classic, medallion chair |
| Influence | Discovery of Pompey, Herculanum leads towards neo-classical |
| LOUIS XVI 1775-1790 |
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| Reign | LOUIS XVI (1774-1792) |
| Characteristics | Straight, pure lines adapted for current life, the taste for nature, science and history. |
| Decoration | Mahogany furniture appears, with fluting, ribbons, beads, ovolo, bows of ribbon, caryatids. |
| Influence | Antiquity int fashion, scientific achievement, pastoral and romantic life |
| DIRECTOIRE 1790-1799 |
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| Reign | 1st Republic (1792-1799) |
| Characteristics | Taste inclines towards Greek and Roman |
| Decoration | Element of revolutionary origin, simplified decor. |
| Influence | Years of terror, abolition of the guild, less careful workmanship |
| CONSULAT 1799-1804 |
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| Reign | Bonaparte (1799-1804) |
| Characteristics | Lines become simplified for new clientele of bourgeoisie. |
| Decoration | Caryatids, sphyinxes return to neo-classicism, originality and details |
| Influence | Military campaign of Bonaparte in Egypt and Italy |
| EMPIRE 1804-1815 |
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| Reign | Napoleon (1804-1815) |
| Characteristics | To serve imperial majesty taken from antiquities, solid theatrical effect, no carving, no moulding. |
| Decoration | Very architectural with bronzes, eagles, stars, palmettes, bees, swans, square edges. |
| Influence | Napoleon tried to lift quality of craftsmanship, influenced by Percier & Fontaine and David |
| RESTORATION 1815-1830 |
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| Reign | Louis XVIII (1815-1824) Charles X (1824-1830) |
| Characteristics | Resurgance of comfort, not so heavy line, cheap production kills originality and inventiveness. |
| Decoration | Dark and light inlaid furniture, disappearance of bronzes, furniture with floral, swans. |
| Influence | Society preferred the life of the intimate salon, birth of furniture "a la cathedral". |
| LOUIS PHILIPPE 1830-1850 |
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| Reign | Louis Philippe (1830-1848) 2nd Republic (1848-1852) |
| Characteristics | Spread of wealth comes with industrialisation. Clumsy and dull furniture |
| Decoration | Mixture of all styles, straight lines for commodes with curved moulding and curved for the chairs. |
| Influence | Revival of Regence style with porcelain, bronze, marquetry of low quality, start of the revival of Boulle |
| NAPOLEON III 1850-1895 |
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| Reign | Napoleon III (1852-1870) |
| Characteristics | Increasing social problems and production costs. Lack of creativity or originality combined with a clientele with little taste and a shallow education. |
| Decoration | N III style is total encyclopedia review of pastiche, a poor comparison with the original furniture from which the inspiration was drawn. Boulle black furniture, enriching, modifying existing furniture to the taste of the period. |
| Influence | Mechanisation in art, horror in emptiness, pilgrimage for Marie Antoinette, years of widowhood (after Victor Hugo). Copy of 18th Century is preferred to the original lack of culture. |
| ART NOUVEAU 1900-1925 |
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| Reign | 3rd Republic (1870-1940) |
| Characteristics | Very small percentage of Art Nouveau furniture, but proliferation of thin simplify machine produce, revival of 18th Century (like Edwardian), inexpressive and banal. |
| Decoration | Sinuous vegetal, animal lines, this style finished after first war with very little influence of the market. The style of N III continued over the period as did that of Henri II, Louis XIV, Louis XV, Louis XVI and Empire. |
| Influence | Collecting 18th Century furniture becomes fashionable in France, thus a lucrative market in reproduction today easy to distinguish. |
| ART DECO 1920-1940 |
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| Reign | 3rd Republic (1870-1940) |
| Characteristics | Over 70% made in revival of the style of 18th and early 19th Century. Revival began to be simplified and cheaper. |
| Decoration | Modern style, no sculpture, no moulding, light, easy to maintain, birth of tube, veneer, painted pione, bronze ornaments, nymphs, roses. |
| Influence | Reaction against precedent and other styles, functionalism, geometric form, Art Deco. |
ANDRE & CECILE FINK
Juniper Hall
248 Oxford Street
Paddington 2021, NSW, Australia
PO BOX 240, Paddington 2021 Sydney, NSW
Phone +612 9361 0244
Fax +612 9361 0344
Antique Furniture | Antiques Shop | French Antiques
18th Century Antique Furniture | 19th Century Antique Furniture
Make EnquiryJuniper Hall
248 Oxford Street
Paddington 2021, NSW, Australia
PO BOX 240, Paddington 2021 Sydney, NSW
Phone +612 9361 0244
Fax +612 9361 0344
Antique Furniture | Antiques Shop | French Antiques
18th Century Antique Furniture | 19th Century Antique Furniture