THE "SUN-KING" AND LOUIS XIV STYLE (1643 - 1715)

FABER FURNITURE presents
INSIDE CLASSIC FURNITURE: by Alberto Vincenzo Vaccari.

In France, with the reign of the "Sun-King" a style was created that rapidly spread throughout Europe; a style that was transferred from Versailles to all the palaces of French nobility, influencing many other countries, including Italy

History
With the long reign of Louis XIV, the so-called "Sun-King", a style was created in France, that for the centralising desires of the King, rapidly spread throughout Europe, under the supervision of the Minister Colbert, the artistic management of the painter Le Brem, and the genial work of the first Court cabinetmaker, André-Charles Boulle. Through this royal work, the style was transferred from Versailles to all the palaces of French nobility, contaminating not just Parisian fashion, and that of the whole of France, but many other European countries too, including Italy. The "Louis quartorze or Baroque" style can be divided into three moments. During the King's early years, from 1643 to 1661, under the reign of Ann of Austria and the Italian government of Cardinal Mazarino, Court fashion underwent strong Italian influence. During this period the desk (bureau) was born, according to Mazarino, with a space in the centre and two sets of drawers on each side, each one with four legs joined by an X beam; the same model, with a few differences, remained in use during the second half of the century. Louis XIV Baroque reached its height in the second period, from the beginning of the sixties of the 17th century, together with the institution (in 1667) of the Royal Manufacture of Crown Furniture, and, above all, with the decision to make Versailles the heart of the Court and Government. Charles Le Brem, who had been active at Court from 1660 to 1683, was replaced by the architect Jean Bérain, who gave Boulle new and more imaginative drawings, perhaps inspired by Lorenzo Bernini after his stay in Paris. The third moment goes from the end of the century to embrace the beginning of the 18th, when the style was softened down taking on curved sinuous lines.

Costumes and society
Everything flourished in Versailles, in magnificence without compare, with parties, games and meals that knew no end, in a scenario of nobles and dames who competed with each other to have the favours or to be the "favourites" of the King. Everything was appearance, from their makeup to the white powdered wigs, from the lace to the gold embroidered costumes, from the jewellery to the perfumes that hid the unpleasant body smells, it is said that no real bathroom existed in Versailles. Towards the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th centuries, fashion changed and Boulle too, who had always been active (he died in 1732 at ninety years of age) took on new directions, inventing a new type of furniture, the "commode", a three drawer chest of drawers with movable sides, which was destined to replace the "cabinet". In the halls at Versailles, numerous large mirrors were hung and the couple console-mirror was born; many cupboards with "marqueterie" (inlaying) sometimes even in solid silver (which was then melted down in 1689 to face the financial crisis that France was going through, in fact, despite all the ostentation at Versailles, the people were dying of hunger).

Architecture
During this period the palaces were transformed into kingdoms, with large halls, on the outside too, terraces, balustrades, statues and anything else that enriched the structure. Inside a myriad of gold-leafed stucco decorated ceilings and walls, leaving space for the sumptuous tapestries made by "Gobelin". During this period, the decoration of the furniture, apart from that of the Italian Domenico Cucci who worked with gold-leafed bronze and commissions in hard stone, was characterised by "marqueterie", inlaying using pewter and brass on tortoiseshell backgrounds. French baroque, like Italian, was a style of facade, with large decorations and sculptures all around, often painted or gold-plated, placed inside niches, between columns, capitals and impressive trabeations. However, it is difficult to describe the richness and complexity of baroque architecture and its decoration, and the infinite solutions offered by the eccentric and unlimited creativity.

Stylistic methods
Perhaps the most important decorative element was gold-leafed bronze, used to protect corners and furniture feet and for further embellishing the furniture, like the large furniture handles of floral volutes wound through with shells. From that moment on, the French became more refined and able experts in chisel work, and French furniture was always distinguished by those small works of art, which required the work of expert artisans (ciseleurs, chisel workers). The furniture in that period was monumental, but linear and square; hermae and caryatid or pillars tapered at the bottom replaced the twisted columns; the ornamental motifs were drawn from antique classic style, through Roman baroque: acanthus, oak and laurel leaves, fruit and flowers, lion's heads and feet, griffins, dolphins, sea-horses, goats' hooves, shells, arms trophies, and the stems of the monarchy: the two crossed "L", the lily, the sun's rays. Bèrain added vines, festoons, drapes, masks and grotesquerie, exotic figures like apes and Chinese figures. In fact, towards the end of the 17th century, after the famous embassy of Siam, certain lacquered items were brought as a gift, among others, giving rise to the passion for Chinese work that would then have reached its height in the 18th century.

Furniture
Furniture included splendid cabinets: covered in pewter and tortoiseshell, or inlaid according to the colourful Flemish style, with large bunches of flowers, rare and precious wood. The wooden parts of the beds were hidden by the upholstery of the canopy held up by four columns; there was also the lounge-bed, like a divan or canapé. The painted or gold-leafed chairs had the typical Louis XIV legs with crossed "X", padded seats and backs, covered in damask, velvet, brocade; numerous benches and stools, also padded. Towards the end of the century and the beginning of the 18th, furniture changed. The most important change in this phase of Louis XIV was the introduction of curved lines: S legs for the 8 legged bureaux and large chairs, with the crossed "X" and, after, roe's legs without cross support. The console sides were joined by cross beams and a carved "apron" front, lambrequins, with marble tops and tall mirrors. Boulle's students introduced other materials into inlaying (mother of pearl, bone, ivory, hard stones).

THE EXPERT ANSWERS
Nowadays can a house be proposed that is inspired by the reign of Versailles?
Everything is possible if done with taste and reason, it is sufficient to know how to combine certain aspects of Louis XIV style with elements more adapted to our style of life, for example: certain refined French style curtain fabrics, typical of this era, can be combined perfectly with coloured walls, framed by narrow stucco with small volutes, everything in moderation. The risk of a house in Louis XIV style is the desire to overdo it, perhaps by trying to combine this style with others that have nothing in common. We must always remember that, like Baroque, Louis XIV is a style of rounded forms and curved lines full of "doodles", therefore it could never be combined with the straight lines, initially of the Renaissance and then of the neo-classic periods If you want to learn more, the book "Inside Furniture", published by Neri Pozza in Vicenza, written by me, gives an extensive description of this fact, with drawings and stylistic charts.

How can furniture from that period be fitted into modern furnishing?
It is no good alone, the right setting must be created similar to its period, perhaps walls covered with coloured drapes, ornaments, crystal lampshades. The photographs, taken from the Versailles collection belonging to Faber Furniture, show certain small expedients that help us better than any words to understand how to decorate without exaggerating. It is not difficult to have good taste, as long as we recognise the styles and consider them with humility; which is why we have prepared this column.

Could a reproduction Louis XIV piece of furniture have value in time?
If it is well made, with care paid to the details and strictly adheres to the stylistic canons it represents, it will certainly be admired over the years, otherwise, like a lot of furniture made today, its parable would be decidedly short. Therefore, I recommend not taking just the first impression, if you buy a Louis XIV style piece of furniture, even though this is the guiding light in our choice, but you should fall in love with it slowly, experiencing the history it wants to transmit to us, if you can grasp this sensation, you will then give an added value to your choice.