Louis-Philippe Furniture: Middle-class Furniture of the Historicism - Hardcover

Haaf, Rainer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3897902079 ISBN 13: 9783897902077

Publisher: Arnoldsche, 2004

Synopsis

Louis Philippe furniture is elegant and courtly in appearance with fluid curvilinear forms. Its playful and lively contours may also be viewed as a reaction to its predecessor, Biedermeier, which was linear and austerely simple. Changes in the courtly style after which Louis Philippe furniture is modelled were based on economic considerations that made it affordable for the middle classes. The Louis Philippe style - named after the French "Citizen King" - reigned supreme in middle-class interiors between 1850 and 1870. For some years now, Louis Philippe furniture has recorded steady growth on the antiques market. Much in demand at auctions, it is popular with collectors and dealers alike. The present publication provides a comprehensive introduction to Louis Philippe and the style is clearly defined for the first time. Unambiguous distinctions are drawn between the diagnostic characteristics of Louis Philippe and "Rococo Revival". A comprehensive catalogue section documents more than 40 different furniture types in over 600 illustrations showing Louis Philippe furniture and clocks ranging from what is frequently encountered on the antiques market through rare, fine and museum-quality pieces. All objects are precisely annotated in the catalogue section respecting type, date, wood and finish. Moreover, the publication provides the first price table for Louis Philippe furniture, compiled by leading experts for the European (in euros) and the North American (in US dollars) markets. Text in English & German.

About this title

Synopsis

The very first comprehensive work on Louis-Philippe furniture, this book surveys the most important furniture types, stylistic features, woods, mounts and fittings and cloth upholstery. It establishes definitive diagnostic criteria for precisely distinguishing between the commonly used terms 'Second Rococo/Rococo Revival' and 'Louis-Philippe'. During the years between 1850 and 1870 furniture was made throughout Europe, which borrowed stylistically from Rococo forms. Between the Biedermeier era and the subsequent period, during which industrialism took hold in Germany, the Louis-Philippe style (named after the king who headed the middle-class against the rsetored French monarchy to found the July Monarchy) developed a formal idiom distinctively its own within Historicism. The onset of industrial production and economically driven modifications of the court style led to the making of furniture the middle classes could afford.

Edition details

• Publisher: Arnoldsche
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3897902079
• ISBN 13: 9783897902077
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240