Vouet, during this period, occupied a somewhat similar position to that held by Le Brun during the Louis XIV. period. It is interesting to note the importance now held by goldsmiths in decorative art. A great deal of the furniture of the day was designed by them. Architects also regarded furniture as an integral part of the interior decoration of their apartments, and therefore designed the important pieces. For instance, Crispin de Passe (1570–1642) shows, besides his chimney-pieces (which being the most important architectural feature in the room, always received careful artistic treatment from the architects), chairs and bedstead. The latter still retains a good deal of Renaissance feeling, with carved posts, open-carved colonnade in the high foot-board and bulb feet. It is somewhat reminiscent of Du Cerceau’s design.
PLATE I
Besides the names already mentioned, the goldsmiths, Gideon Legare and Carteron, the armorial designer, Jacquard, and particularly Abraham Bosse, Picart, Stella, and Lepautre’s master Adam Philippon have left stamps or engravings that how the Louis XIII. style in all its details and characteristics. The goldsmiths, engravers and designers of this period were Audran, Barbet, Berton, Betin, Betou, Biard, Bignon, Blosset, Bouquet, Boutemie, Boyceau, Brebiette, Brosse, Caillard, Callot, Carterson, Chrestollien, Collot, Cotelle, Daubigny, David, De la Barre, Dorigny, Faber, Firens, Francard, Fornazoris, Gandin, Gautrel, Hedouyns, Heince, Hennequin, Huret, Hurtu, Jacquard, Jardin, Jousse, La Fleur, La Houe, Langlois, Le Clerc, Lefebvre, Le Mercier, Le Rou, Le Roy, Levesville, Lionnais, Loriot, Lorris, Marchant, Mellan, Menessier, Messager, Millot, Montcornet, Moriet, Mortin, Nolin, Picart, Pierretz, Piquot, Pompeus, Rabel, Rivart, Roussel, Sordot, Tavernier, Testelin, Thomassin, Torner, Tortebat, Toutin, Vignon, Vivot, Vouet and Vovert. Rabel’s ornaments are formed by a species of rinceaux of quite a particular kind, which look like the curves of an ear. Many artists of this period were certainly inspired by this part of the human body. It is impossible to imagine more strange productions; the genre (auricular style) lasted only a short time in France, and was carried to its apogee by the Germans and Flemings.
The age of Louis XIII. saw the transformation of Paris, and the application of the decorative arts to private life. The new manners in this period finally break with the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It is a transitory, but decisive, period with its own originality; a period which announces the splendours of the age of Louis XIV.
Paris was so embellished, and so many houses were rebuilt and new finer ones built, that rents rose greatly, and the authorities published five abortive ordinances regulating the excessive rents between 1622 and 1649. The new luxury had to be paid for. Under Marie de’ Medici and Richelieu, a new city with characteristics of utility, beauty and magnificence arose. Corneille’s le Menteur (1642) notes the wonderful change:
“Paris semble à mes yeux un pays de romans;
J’y croyais ce matin voir une île enchantée;
Je la laissai deserte et la trouve habitée.
Quelque Amphion nouveau sans l’aide des maçons