Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-29
French Period Furnishing
BY GENEVIEVE HENDRICKS.

BY GENEVIEVE HENDRICKS.
Today. when so many houses are
being furnished after the Spanish and
Italian and other foreign styles, but
few houses. comparatively speaking,
are being done In copy of the French
periods. The reason for this proba bly, Is
that most people have q mistaken con-
ception of what is best in French fur
niture and do not realize how very
adaptable 1t is to use in our modern
homes. An influx of bad French fur
niture. heavily carved. ornate, bril-
liant with gilt, coming here few dec
AIDES ago has caused this misconcep-
ton and created a certain undeserved
prejudice against French furnishing.
Adapted to Small Quarters.
The best of French furniture is deli
cate, light and graceful and lends it
self particularly well to use in small
rooms where space must be conserved
and where the size of the room must
be enhanced by furniture that is small
in scale. Inasmuch as the best period
in French furniture was cotemporary
with Sheraton and Chippendale and
Adam periods in England and with
their American colonial copies. it can
be used with historical as well as ar
tistic correctness with pieces of these
types.
Graceful. dainty furniture, such as
the best of the French, is not, of
course, suitable for use in Spanish or
Italian or early English types of home.
which. as we have. said, call for the
heavier and more rugged pieces. Nor
is it suitable for use in early Ameri-
can homes for the same reason. But
in homes that are true to the colonial
feeling and homes that are Of.
Georgian design it fits in beautifully.
A great deal of good French furni-
ture came to America at the time of
the American Revolution. In TACT,
prudent Franklin himself is said TO
have sent home some lovely pieces.
Throws Light on History.
History is recorded not only by the
written word, but also. and more espe-
cially so, by the art objects, furniture
and architecture of each age. The his
tory of France, more than any other
nation, can be traced by the furniture
associated with the reigns of its vari-
Gus monarchs, inasmuch as for long
period of years the rulers of France
were men Of artistic tastes who sought
10 bring renoWn to themselves by the
art which was developed during their
reigns. Unfortunately, it is not pos
sible here TO follow in detail the his
tory of France as expressed III
furniture.
Although there is much of interest
in a study of the decorative art of
France before and during the Renais-
sance and after it, we will touch here
only on the periods that represent the
height of French art and which best
deserve copy and use today
Francis /, who reigned from 1918
TO 1547, travelled to Italy and brought
back not only objects of Italian art
and furniture but also artisans to
execute work in France. This Ital-
ian influence was felt for a long
period, although its application was
different in France from that in Italy.
Luxury Loving People.
France was more prosperous than
Italy and her people became more
IuXury-loving. They demanded com
fort in their furniture as well as
beauty Furniture therefore became
more graceful. lighter and more deli
cate as time passed and more COM
Portable furniture was invented.
The high period in French furnish
ing extended over the reigns of Louis
XIV, Louis XIV and Louis XVI,
which lasted from 1643 to 1889. Louis
XIV, through his patronage of
cabinet makers and other artisans, set
an example and laid the foundation
for the work that was to follow in
the next two reigns. The furniture
of his reign was for the most part
ornate and overdecorated. That of
the period of Louis XIV was full of
curves. the best of it being without
ornament, depending entirely on its
lines for its beauty. In the Louis XVI
neriod there was a reaction against
these curves. Pompeii and Her
cuianeum had been discovered and
people turned to the classical for their
models. Furniture now became
straight, the legs being fiuted and
either round or square.
While certain characteristics diff
ferentiate the styles of these three
periods, there are certain other quail
ties which are similar in all of them.
They can be used together with har-
mony.
Walls Usually Painted.
During these periods walls were
usually painted in soft pastel shades
and marked off into panels by mold
ines. Beamed ceilings were almost
never used Instead cornices were
used to mark where the ceiling met
the side walls.
Mantels were generally small In
scale and were frequently of marble
or wood In the latter period they
were square topped with marrow
shelves, as shown in the sketch. NIT
rors over mantels and over console
tables came into use at this time.
Instead of the heavy tapestries USED
in earlier Italian houses. prints and
smaller pictures and brocades were
used for wall decoration. The sketch
viii show a modern wall hung with
prints in this manner.
Lighting fixtures for houses OF these
periods should be of carved wood or
bronze If they would be true 10 thelr
models. curved and more or less or
nate in the: first two periods and clas-
steal in design in the Louis XVI pc.
i.iod.
Plain rugs are best for use in adapta-
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