Fig. 250.—Mahogany Cabinet with Sèvres Plaques. Louis Seize.
The best pieces of David and Riesner were usually mounted in ormoulu or bronze-gilt metal by Gouthière, who has never been equalled as a founder and chaser of this class of work. Prieur was also a good chaser of the Louis Seize period. Delafosse was an architect and designer of furniture and decoration of the period, whose designs were of a more heavy and classical kind. Cauvet was a German who worked in Paris, and designed graceful arabesques and figure work, and who published a book of designs. Lalonde designed work that might be classed in the same category as that of Cauvet, and Salembier was a prolific designer of a light and free kind of arabesque. Many of his designs for silk may be seen in the fabric at the Silk Museum in the Bourse at Lyons. Le Nôtre designed for furniture, carving, and was also famed with La Quintinie as a designer of the state and public gardens.
Fig. 251.—Escritoire of Marie Antoinette. (Jones Collection.)
In Italy the prevailing ornament in furniture and decoration was more classical than in France. Piranesi, Albertolli, Pergolese, and Bartolozzi are names of the principal designers of this country in the eighteenth century, most of whom published extensive works on ornament. The latter two were brought to England by the brothers John and Robert Adam (1728-1792), who had travelled in Italy, bringing also with them classical ideas, which they developed in England, and which influenced to a great extent the style of architecture and furniture design in this country. The Adelphi building and the houses in Portland Place were built from designs by the Adams. All kinds of furniture, sedan chairs, carriages, plate, &c., were made from their designs. Fine mouldings, medallions, rosettes, light garlands, capitals in classic form, fluted pilasters and columns, were all designed by them with the utmost restraint in style—even to coldness.
Fig. 252.—Table of Marie Antoinette, inlaid with Sèvres Plaques.
(Jones Collection.)
Thomas Chippendale was a famous cabinet-maker of the eighteenth century. His furniture, or even any good imitation of it, fetches a good price at the present time. He published a book on furniture design and interior decoration in the year 1764. His sons are supposed to have made nearly all the best of the mahogany furniture known as “Chippendale.”
Fig. 253.—Parlour Chairs, by Chippendale. (L.)