Petitot’s best book contains many views and studies of a salon in the purest Louis XVI. taste. He also published sets of vases.
Jules François Boucher (b. 1736, d. 1781), the son of the famous painter, published various decorations for panels, elevations for alcoves, windows, buffets, details of armoires and commodes, libraries, drawing-rooms, cabinets, bath-rooms, dressing-rooms, boudoirs, bedrooms, dining-rooms, vestibules, etc. His work is particularly valuable; for the decorations, like those of Neufforge, give a more correct idea of the general ornamentation of the Louis XVI. period than the very rich and elaborate designs of Cauvet, Salembier and others.
Cuvilliés (b. 1734, d. 1805) was for a time architect of the Bavarian court, and his stay in Germany greatly influenced his taste. His works deal chiefly with ornamentation, but designs for stoves, terms, vases and fountains are found among his drawings; and “niches in two Gothic styles” were published about 1770.
Marillier (b. 1740, d. 1808) chiefly designed flowers, trophies and cartouches. He also produced “new ornament composed in the most modern taste to be made in gold, silver, copper and other metals.” These include trimmings for commodes, buffets and other pieces of furniture, besides lamps, candelabras, sconces for mantel-pieces, hearth furniture, etc. Marillier’s work shows the best characteristics of the Louis XVI. style.
Prieur’s taste led him to arabesques, but, among his large collection of designs, one book is devoted to the decoration of apartments. Its six plates comprise a round dining-room, drawing-room, bedroom, boudoir, vestibule door and two ceilings.
A number of Beneman’s signed works exist, and are of massive and severe form. His heavy commodes of rigid lines are ornamented with handsome metal mounts; and many of his pieces announce the coming Empire style.
At Fontainebleau and the Louvre, are preserved many articles by Dugourc, whose favourite ornament was the quiver.
Cauvet (b. 1731, d. 1788) designed ornaments, chiefly arabesques. Typical trophies and arabesques are shown on Plate [XLV.] Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
A great number of painters, decorators and designers devoted their attention to the urn and vase forms: innumerable volumes entitled “vases composed in the antique taste or suite des vases,” were published by Vien, Jacques, Saly, Watelet, Pierre, Wailly, La Live de Juilly, Simon Challe, Saint Non, Petitot, Cauvet, Houdan, Beauvais, Bertren, Gachet, La Rue, Bonnet, Joly, Duplessis, fils, Percenet, Scheemakers, Moithey l’ainé, Nicolet, Dupuis, Courture l’ainé, Marchand, Perault, Pannier, Doré and Normand.
Others gave great attention to designing iron-work for balconies, locks, bolts and mounts for furniture; and even stoves received much consideration. Bosse, for instance, gives eighteen models in his Collection des dessins de Poêles de formes antiques et modernes, de l’invention et de la manufacture du sieur Olivier, rue de la Roquette, faubourg Saint-Antoine.