French Renaissance Furniture Styles
Put the French and the Renaissance together and you are bound to get magic. With French Renaissance furniture styles, this is certain the case.
French Renaissance Furniture Styles
Before the arrival of French renaissance furniture styles in the 16th century, furniture was more functional and practical as opposed to ornamental. It was usually confined to a few pieces such as tables, benches, stools, and beds. Then came the Gothic period which evolved into the French Renaissance style. Derived from the Italian renaissance, the furniture became less practical, more decorated and comfortable.
The Renaissance technically means “revival” which is more than a style, it is a feeling. It was a whole new attitude that was brought to the 1500s, and refers to the spirit of individuality that the French felt during this time. The French Renaissance really came into its own around 1515 when the Gothic furniture, which was firmly rooted in France, suddenly started to fade out and furniture makers began to look towards the new French renaissance furniture styles.
The pieces were more ornamental and were made of lighter woods then the Italian style. Pieces were made with a more delicate look to them, and not just thought of as something functional. Tables took on a finer line to them, and buffets and cabinets replaced old sturdy cupboards. Pieces were more artistic then practical and were very opulent. Flower forms were added to tables and dressers, and headboards became works of art.
The luxuriousness of the furniture was turning up everywhere from hand decorated mirrors to side tables and chairs. Before the French renaissance furniture styles came about the wood that was mostly used was oak, but walnut was introduced during this time, making furniture easier to produce. Although walnut was harder to carve, it still managed to add characters from mythology to dining room tables especially. Small columns were intricately carved into cabinets to lend a little Greek heritage to each piece as well.
From 1850 to 1880, there was a Renaissance Revival period that brought back types of carving such as the columns, pediments, rosettes, and carved masks. Ebony became popular to have a distinct mother of pearl look that added to the intricate carvings. The furniture of the French Renaissance first period as well as the revival period had distinct characteristics that are still made today in reproductions. Rectilinear forms are one of the most common, along with heavy proportions. Turned elements, an ornamental element of furniture produced by rotating a wood dowel, is a very different look that made French renaissance furniture what it was. It is a beautiful style that is still hugely popular today.