Useful Info for French Style Lovers!
Louis XVI reigned during a period of 14 years from 1775 to 1789.
The Louis XVI style advocates simpler, less ornate furniture design.
Straight lines and simplicity are the guiding principles of this period.
In Louis XVI architecture and furniture designs, the curves are eliminated and replaced by straight lines which is a total opposite to the Louis XV style.
If ever there is curvature in the design, it is usually compass drawn and not free form. The chair backs are usually oval, rectangular or shield form. The cabriole legs have been replaced with straight legs and are fluted imitating the columns of ancient Rome. Most case pieces are usually in rectangular form and there are no more curves as in the Bombe of Louis XV. This period doesn't have so much ornamentation in its design and often is not carved or painted either. It is usually finished in natural wood with mahogany the most commonly used. Since this period is so much influenced by the ideals of ancient Rome and Greece, the Louis XVI style is alternatively referred to as the Neo Classical style.
The typical motifs of this period includes: 1. The lyre which is a classic Roman musical instrument. 2. Fluted legs imitating Roman columns with square blocks carved with rosettes at the top of legs. 3. Urns and columns.
