April 16, 2024
French Furniture Style - Louis XIII (1560-1643)
French Furniture Style - Louis XIII (1560-1643) - Description
Furniture in the Louis XIII style is oversized, rectilinear, and heavy. French furniture style, not yet fully formed between 1560 and 1643, was heavily influenced by Italy, Flanders, and Spain to a lesser extent. Characteristics include architectural influences like pediments and decorative “turnery.” Wood columns shaped into serpentine or barley-twist patterns were used functionally on chair legs and decoratively on armoires, cupboards, sideboards, dressers, and similar large pieces.
When motifs other than wood are used for decoration, they are often palm fronds, cornucopias, birds, and animals. Tapestries were hugely popular, and fixed upholstery was introduced.
French Furniture Style - Louis XIII (1560-1643) - History
In 1610 Louis ascended the throne at age 10. In 1617 he seized power from his mother, Marie de Medici, who had been serving chaotically as Regent. His mother’s famous family patronized the arts, and Italian influence during her tenure rose.
Continuing his father's initiative, Louis enticed artisans from Germany, Switzerland, and Flanders to come to France. Flemish master Peter Rubens exerted influence on various royal projects from 1622-1625, including designing an elaborate tapestry for the king.
Around this time, Louis appointed Cardinal Richelieu as First Minister. The cardinal, who wielded enormous influence, also helped consolidate the monarchy's power. Together they embarked on an ambitious journey to fund and elevate the arts, setting the stage for the triumphant periods that followed.
While the period bears Louis XIII's name, the style owes much to his father, Henry IV. The late 16th century denotes the end of the Mannerism of the Fontainebleau School, which was inspired by the Italian Renaissance. Henry believed the arts could bolster France's prestige after it was battered by religious conflict. He patronized French artisans and helped them learn the skills and techniques to raise the level of French furniture.
In 1601 he leased the Gobelins tapestry plant and invited Flemish weavers to work there to help advance the country's tapestry business. Henry also sent French craftsmen to Holland to study the art of working in ebony. The wood was rare and expensive, so artisans needed the skills to use it for veneers and inlays.
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Louis XIII Furniture In Price Guide
French Furniture Style - Louis XIII (1560-1643) - Identification & Value
The furniture of the Louis XIII period can seem oversized and disproportionate to the human scale. At the time, architects had considerable power, and many provided monumental furniture to complement large windows and massive fireplaces. Some of the substantial cabinets, such as cupboards and sideboards, came in two parts, often sitting on blocks with bun or bulbous feet. One exception is the smaller-scale gueridon table, a round table with a carved or twisted pedestal leg designed to feature a vase or candle.
Architectural influences can be found throughout the furniture of the period. Paneling became decoration. Molding was used to decorate cabinet doors and to create patterns. The diamond pattern was prevalent.
Refinements made to the lathe led to the creative manipulation of wood into twisted columns. Louis XIII turnery can be found in various designs, such as barley-twisted, beaded, or serpentine. Other furniture motifs include garlands of leaves and fruit, lions, birds, and hunting scenes.
Chairs were rectilinear and often boxy. Turned-column legs were usually joined together at the bottom by H-shaped or X-shaped stretchers. Chairs were padded and sometimes ornamented with fringe.
Fine textiles, including velvet, silk, and brocade, featured mythological, historical, and floral themes.Fixed upholstery, an innovation, was fastened to the chair framework with gold, brass, or silver-headed nails. Red and green were popular colors. Tapestries flourished during this period and were used as hangings, on floors, and as upholstery.
The favored woods of the period included walnut, oak, chestnut, pear wood, pine, and ebony, especially in veneers. When marquetry was used, it was most often metal, wood, or tortoiseshell.
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French Furniture Style - Louis XIII (1560-1643) - Marks
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Relevant Furniture & Furnishings Articles
Further Reading on French Furniture Style - Louis XIII (1560-1643)
Books and Periodicals
French Furniture: From Louis XIII to Art Deco by Sylvie Chadene.
French Furniture in the Middle Ages and Under Louis XIII by Roger De Felice
French and English Furniture: Distinctive Styles and Periods Described and Illustrated by Esther Singleton
Web Resources
Fontainebleau School of Art (c. 1528-1610). www.visual-arts-cork.com
Louis XIII: 1601-1643. en.chateauversailles.fr.
Louis XIII Style Furniture. www.furniturestyles.net
Related Dictionary Pages: French Furniture Style - Renaissance (1515-1560), French Furniture Style - Louis XV (1723-1774).