Louis XIV style


Louis XIV style

France’s baroque period centered on the glorious reign of the Sun King, of which the vast new Palace of Versailles (1688 on) was the apotheosis. Furniture formed part of an integrated royal program of the decoration, in which magnificent but disciplined design enveloped the 20,000-member hierarchical court, where even the size of foot stools was graduated. New and enduring furniture forms were the canapé sofa, the confessional armchair, the fauteuil armchair, the console table, often marble topped, and the commode, which ousted the traditional chest. Chinoiserie joined the decorative repertoire from the 1670s.