FRENCH FURNITURE

Palace of Versailles: "Grand" and "Petit Trianon "- the three Styles of Louis XIV., XV. and XVI. -Colbert and Lebrun-Andre Charles Boule and his Work-Carved and Gilt Furniture-The Regency and its Influence- Alteration in Condition of French Society--Watteau, Lancret, and Boucher. Louis XV. Furniture: Famous Ebenistes-Vernis Martin Furniture-Caffieri and Gouthiere Mountings-Sevres Porcelain introduced into Cabinets- Gobelins Tapestry- The "Bureau du Roi." Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette: The Queen's Influence-The Painters Chardin and Greuze-More simple Designs -Characteristic Ornaments of Louis XVI. Furniture-Riesener's Work-Gouthiere's Mountings-Specimens in the Louvre-The Hamilton Palace Sale-French influence upon the design of Furniture in other countries- The Jones Collection -Extract from the "Times." HERE is something so distinct in the development of taste in furniture, marked out by the three styles to which the three T monarchs have given the names of "Louis Quatorze," "Louis Quinze," and "Louis Seize," that it affords a fitting point for a new depar- ture. This will be evident to anyone who will visit, first the Palace of Versailles,12 then the Grand Trianon, and afterwards the Petit Trianon. By the help of a few illustrations, such a visit in the order given would greatly interest anyone having a smattering of knowledge of the characteristic ornaments of these different periods. A careful examination would demonstrate how the one style gradually merged into that of its successor. Thus the massiveness and grandeur of the best Louis Quatorze meubles de luxe, became, in its later development, too ornate and effeminate, with an elaboration of enrichment, culminating in the rococo style of Louis Quinze. Then we find, in the "Petit Trianon," and also in the Chateau of Fontaineb- leau, the purer taste of Marie Antoinette dominating the Art productions of her time, which reached their zenith, with regard to furniture, in the production of such elegant and costly examples as have been preserved to us in the beautiful work-table and secretaire-sold some years since at the dispersion of the Hamilton Palace collection-and in some other speci- mens, which may be seen in the Musee du Louvre, in the Jones Collection in the South Kensington Museum, and in other public and private collections: of these several illustrations are given. We have to recollect that the reign of Louis XIV. was the time of the artists Berain, Lebrun, and, later in the reign, of Watteau, also of Andre Charles Boule, ciseleur et doreur du roi, and of Colbert, that admirable Minister of Finance, who knew so well how to second his royal master's taste for grandeur and magnificence. The Palace of Versailles bears throughout the stamp and impress of the majesty of le Grande Monarque; and the rich architectural ornament of the interior, with moulded, gilded, and painted ceilings, required the furnishing to be carried to an extent which had never been attempted previously. Louis XIV. had judgment in his taste, and he knew that, to carry out his ideas of a royal palace, he must not only select suitable artists capable of control, but he must centralize their efforts. In 1664 Colbert founded the Royal Academy of Painting, Architecture, and Sculpture, to which designs of furniture were admitted. The celebrated Gobelins tapestry factory was also established; and it was here the King collected together and suitably housed the different skilled producers of his furniture, placing them all under the control of his favourite artist, Lebrun, who was appointed director in 1667. The most remarkable furniture artist of this time, for surely he merits such title, was Andre Charles Boule, of whom but little is known. He was born in 1642, and, therefore, was 25 years of age when Lebrun was appointed Art- director. He appears to have originated the method of ornamenting furniture which has since been associated with his name. This was to veneer his cabinets, pedestals, armoires, encoignures, clocks, and brackets with tortoiseshell, into which a cutting of brass was laid, the latter being cut out from a design, in which were harmoniously arranged scrolls, vases of flowers, satyrs, animals, cupids, swags of fruit and draperies; fantastic compositions of a free Renaissance character constituted the panels; to which bold scrolls in ormolu formed fitting frames; while handsome mouldings of the same material gave a finish to the extremities. These ormolu mountings were gilt by an old-fashioned process,'3 which left upon the metal a thick deposit of gold, and were cunningly chiselled by the skilful hands of Caffieri or his contemporaries.