French Country Furniture
Reminders of the Past

An interest in French country furniture can be traced to 1610, when Louis XIII ascended to the throne, and with the Baroque period of flaunting wealth with Louis XIV.

Furnishings were labeled Louis XIV, XV, XVI or more accurately Baroque, Regence, Rococo and Neoclassical, or Classic Revival.

During the opulent Baroque period the furniture was heavily carved. Tall chairs had upholstered backs and seats with straight turned legs and a stretcher base. Regal tapestries, brocades, tassels and fringe as well as extravagant image frescoes, (wall paintings on wet plaster) were evident.

The Regence era was a transition from the massive straight lines into a softer style marked by the show of curved lines, after the reign of Louis XIV until the accession of Louis XV.

The wood pieces started to show carvings of foliage and ribbon, and stretcher bases disappeared. The bombe or convex commode made its debut, and the cabriole leg replaces the straight leg, while curves were added to cabinets and bookcases.

A fascination with the far east also began during this period. There was a demand for silk screens, lacquered cabinets and blue and white porcelain vases.

The French country furniture craftsman copied these richly decorative pieces and added even more flourishes of their own.

This inspiration from the east together with western craftsmanship created the style known as chinoiserie and pointed the way toward the flowing lines that distinguishes the Rococo period when Louis XV had great influence.

The family settings were more intimate and the strong colors were replaced with pastels.

The new formality of Louis XV or Rococo sought an inviting chair that encouraged furniture arrangement conducive to conversation. Chairs of the Louis XV period are delicate and graceful and meant to be moved around.

Chair maker Jean-Baptiste Tilliad designed a low curved armchair with an exposed wood frame, often carved and less regal looking than former chairs and the bergere chairs were born.

Parisian chair makers began adopting Tillards’ design making them gilded or painted. The curved line became a basis for chair design in Europe.

Rich damasks and velvets became hallmarks of the period.

Carvings were pulled from all aspects of nature including shells, fish, birds, vines and flowers. Farming motifs like corn and wheat as well and ribbons, streamers and hearts became fashionable.

Neoclassical or Classic Revival replaced curved lines with straight as a rebellion against the overindulgence of Baroque and Rococo. Shell and floral carvings were replaced with urns and columns.

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