Louis XIV furniture

also: Style Louis XIV

style c. 1660-1715 France

Furniture under Louis XIV was designed to match the grandeur of Versailles. In the earlier phase of the king's personal rule (1660-1690) pieces were massive and lavishly covered with sculpted, gilded bronze - military trophies, sun masks, crowns - echoing the carved paneling of royal interiors. After about 1690 the style grew lighter and more delicate, above all in the work of André-Charles Boulle, whose marquetry of ebony, tortoiseshell, brass, copper and mother-of-pearl gave the period its lasting signature. The royal furniture manufactory, established in 1667, supplied the palaces, and the period also invented enduring furniture types: the commode, the canapé, the console table and the Mazarin desk. Jean Bérain the Elder's fanciful arabesques and grotesques pushed the style toward the curves of the Louis XV era.

Cabinet on Stand; Attributed to André-Charles Boulle (French, 1642 - 1732, master before 1666), and medallions after Jean Varin (French, 159
Cabinet on Stand; Attributed to André-Charles Boulle (French, 1642 - 1732, master before 1666), and medallions after Jean Varin (French, 159Public domain (credit: Attributed to André-Charles Boulle (French, 1642 - 1732, mas) · source

Defining characteristics

  • Sculpted, gilded bronze (ormolu) ornament covering faces, corners, keyholes and feet
  • Royal iconography: Apollo sun masks, crowns, scepters and military trophies
  • Massive, monumental forms aligned with carved wall paneling
  • Boulle marquetry: ebony inlaid with tortoiseshell, brass, pewter, copper and mother-of-pearl
  • After 1690, lighter proportions, arabesque and grotesque ornament, and curving lines
  • Chair legs en gaine or en balustre, joined by H- and X-stretchers

Key figures

  • André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732) — Cabinetmaker to Louis XIV and master of the marquetry that carries his name
  • Pierre Gole (c. 1620-1684) — Dutch-born royal ébéniste at the Gobelins who pioneered tortoiseshell-and-brass marquetry
  • Jean Bérain the Elder (1638-1711) — Designer whose arabesques, grotesques and fanciful ornament animated the late style

Example works

  • Cabinet on a stand (J. Paul Getty Museum) — André-Charles Boulle (1675-1680)
  • Armoire aux perroquets (parakeet marquetry armoire, Louvre) — André-Charles Boulle (1680-1700)
  • Bureau brisé (folding-top desk, Metropolitan Museum) — Jean Bérain the Elder (1685)

Sources

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