French Furniture and Design
French furniture and decorative arts from the royal workshops of Versailles to Art Deco luxury, post-war modernism and contemporary design.
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About
France organised luxury as an industry early. Under Louis XIV the state-run Gobelins manufactory supplied Versailles, and André-Charles Boulle perfected marquetry of brass and tortoiseshell. Paris guilds split the trade between menuisiers, who carved solid wood for chairs and beds, and ébénistes, who veneered case furniture; from the mid-18th century masters had to stamp their names on their work. Jean-Henri Riesener's commodes for Marie Antoinette mark its height. After the Revolution, Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine gave Napoleon an Empire style of mahogany and gilt bronze.
French taste kept its authority through Émile Gallé's glass in Nancy, Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann's Art Deco cabinets and the couture of Paul Poiret and Gabrielle Chanel. Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé later brought modern materials and social purpose, Jean Royère added fantasy, and Philippe Starck took French design worldwide from the 1980s. Look for fine veneers, gilt-bronze mounts and a strong sense of occasion.
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