Rococo furniture is interior design influenced by the lavishly ornamented Rococo period of 18th century France. Rococo design, made popular by Louis XV's powerful mistress, Madame de Pompadour, emphasized intricacy, well-defined sculpted lines, and decoration. In architecture, the term is used to describe lavish ornamentation that was popular in Europe from about 1720 to 1800.
Characterized by exuberant curves, padded chairs, and other forms, rococo furniture is known for its extravagant designs. The style reached its peak under King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette.
During this time, French designers invented many new styles and techniques that are still used today. For example, Georges-Louis Brunon's designs for Chairs to Louis XV are still in use today. Many other chairmakers also produced excellent work during this era. But it was Brunon who really became famous, because he designed over 700 different kinds of chairs!
In addition to chairs, other rococo items include tables, benches, and bedsteads. These items all have elaborate carved bodies with smooth surfaces where your fingers would touch if you were sitting at the table or lying in bed. Sometimes these items also have legs that end in a ball and are called "fountains".
Rococo furniture is rich and excessive in style, and frequently utilizes several different types of material and adornment in a single piece. The term "roccoco" comes from the Italian word for "sparkling" or "dancing", which was used to describe the decorative arts of this era.
The extravagant designs of the French Empire style were an influence on later styles such as Art Nouveau and Japonisme. However, while both these later styles retained some elements of the Empire style, they also had their own unique characteristics which can not be attributed to just one particular movement.
The Empire style was very popular between 1770 and 1800. After this time, it began to be replaced by other styles that could better fit with modern lifestyles include the Victorian style which started around 1820 and continued into the 1900s.
Roosevelt Island Park in New York City is home to a collection of rococo chairs donated by John D. McDermott in 1936. Each chair costs about $10,000 today but at the time of its donation they estimated each chair would be worth more than $100,000 today.
The museum has six chairs in total, three from each of two different makers.
Paris Rococo is a style in interior design, ornamental arts, painting, architecture, and sculpture that started in Paris in the early 18th century but spread quickly throughout France and then to other nations, most notably Germany and Austria. The term "Rococo" was originally used by French critics to describe works of art that were overly elaborate or luxurious rather than realistic.
Rococo styles evolved from Baroque designs that had become very complex and expensive to produce. With no money to spend, many people turned to using gold and silver paint and gilding for their furniture and decoration. These materials were more affordable than real wood or marble, which are traditional elements in French design. Also contributing to the rise of the style are paintings with extremely detailed backgrounds and lots of ornamentation. Architects such as Jacques-Ange Le Blond and Michel-Louis Poulain designed buildings in a dramatic Italianate style. In the realm of sculpture, Jean-Antoine Houdon is considered the father of the style because of his use of extreme exaggeration in his portraits.
In Europe, the style reached its peak around 1720-50. After this time, it began to decline because of political turmoil and economic problems. By 1800, most European cities had returned to more classical styles like Neoclassicism or Romanticism.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 BindleyHardware & Co Inc.
