LOUIS XV AND THE ROCOCO REVIVAL STYLE

The nephew of Napoleon, Napoleon III (1852 – 1870), Emperor of the Second Empire, has the unusual distinction of being both the last monarch of France and the first President of the French Republic. Napoleon III married the beautiful Spanish Countess, Eugénie de Montijo, whose aristocratic extravagance in dress and jewels reflected her ornate personal taste in furniture and decorative arts, and influenced French furniture makers to reach back to the designs from the glorious court of Louis XV (1715 – 1774) at Versailles for inspiration, creating the Rococo Revival style.

The extreme level of exuberant extravagance that blossomed under the reign of Louis XV and his favorite mistress, Madame du Pompadour, is known as the Rococo style. The word Rococo is thought to be a combination of the French rocaille, or shell, and the Italian barocco, or Baroque style. The rounded extravagance of the Rococo Revival style, enormously popular in the 19th century, was based on the original 18th century style. Hallmarks of this style, also known as the Louis XV style, include detailed carvings of birds, flowers (especially roses) and leaves, fruit, and shells. Furniture overflowed with massive carvings and grandiose S and C curves. The cabriole leg, which means a knee leg with concave rounded ankle, was very popular and is also a trademark of the Louis XV style. Rosewood and walnut were popularly used in the Rococo Revival style, along with a great interest in white marble for vanities, nightstands, and parlor tables.

As the middle class rose in status and wealth with the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, more people were able to afford furniture. This flattening of society in combination with technological advancements created a surge of furniture production. Improved transportation meant a greater variety of wood was available at lower costs. For the first time, furniture became accessible and affordable to the common man. From the 1830s to the end of the 19th century, furniture makers reached back to earlier historical styles, and reinterpreted them with a great deal of creativity and experimentation. Although machines were used to increase speed and productivity, most of the carvings were still done by hand. As furniture began to be created cooperatively in workshops, the practice of signing pieces (required by law from 1743 to 1789) was not as prevalent. Most French pieces from the 19th century do not have maker’s marks or signatures.