KING LOUIS XVI

Louis Auguste de France

REIGN: 10 MAY 1774 –4 SEPTEMBER 1791CORONATION: 11 JUNE 1775PREDECESSOR: LOUIS XVSUCCESSOR:

PROVISIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCILMONARCHY ABOLISHEDNATIONAL CONVENTION

SPOUSE: MARIE ANTOINETTEBORN: 23 AUGUST 1754 PALACE OF VERSAILLES, FRANCEDIED: 21 JANUARY 1793 (AGED 38)

PLACE DE LA RÉVOLUTION, PARIS, FRANCE

LOUIS XVI KING OF FRANCE

LOUIS XVI  ALSO KNOWN AS LOUIS CAPET, WAS KING OF FRANCE FROM 1774 UNTIL HIS DEPOSITION IN 1792, ALTHOUGH HIS FORMAL TITLE AFTER 1791 WAS KING OF THE FRENCH. HE WAS EXECUTED ON THE 21ST OF JANUARY 1793. HIS FATHER, LOUIS, DAUPHIN OF FRANCE, WAS THE SON AND HEIR APPARENT OF LOUIS XV OF FRANCE. AS A RESULT OF THE DAUPHIN'S DEATH IN 1765, LOUIS SUCCEEDED HIS GRANDFATHER IN 1774.

PALACE OF VERSAILLES

MARIE ANTONETTE

STYLE OF LOUIS XVI

 IN LOUIS XVI FURNITURE THERE IS AN EMPHASIS ON STRAIGHT LINES AND RIGHT ANGLES, SERIOUSNESS, LOGICAL DESIGN, A SHARP MOVE AWAY FROM THE CURVES OF THE ROCOCO. FURNITURE BECOMES RESTRAINED IN ITS FORM AND DECORATION, WITH MUCH USE OF FLUTED COLUMNS, CARVED FRIEZES, OAK AND LAUREL LEAF, WREATHS, THE GREEK BAND, AND OTHER VARIOUS NEO CLASSICAL ATTEMPTS TO IMITATE THE FURNITURE AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE ROMANS AND GREEKS.

THE KING LOVED PASTEL COLORS AND EXOTICALLY COLORED WOODS. DURING HIS REIGN WAS THE GOLDEN AGE OF FRENCH FURNITURE, CRAFTSMANSHIP, REFINEMENT, CURVES, ASYMMETRY, BRANCHES, FLOWERS, SHELLS, MONKEYS, DOLPHINS, LATTICEWORK, CHERUBS, AND WREATHS. THE ARTIST JEAN-HERI REISENER DICTATED THE STYLES. REISENER WAS AMONG THE DESIGNERS OF THE MOST NOTABLE CABINET WORK. THE GREATEST CHARM THAT THE LOUIS XVI PERIOD CONVEYS TO THE MODERN MIND IS ITS INFORMALITY AND INTIMACY CREATED BY SMALL ROOMS, LIGHT AND DELICATE DETAILS.

LOUIS XVI STYLE IN BRIEF:

-CLASSICAL INTERIORS;

-FLUTED COLUMNS, PAINTED PANELS WITH CLASSICAL FIGURES;

-SWAGS AND URNS;

-MIRROR GLASS MUCH USED;

-STRIPED WALLPAPERS AND FABRICS INTRODUCED.

INFLUENCES

THE TASTE OF QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE, QUEEN TO LOUIS 16TH, IS GIVEN A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT FOR THE EXISTENCE OF THE NEO CLASSICAL STYLE IN FURNITURE DESIGN. SHE WAS MUCH RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAKING OF MANY SMALL PIECES OF FURNITURE THAT SUITED THE FURNISHINGS OF HER APARTMENT AT VERSAILLES.

INTERIOR DESIGN

CEILING

LOUIS XVI FURNITURE AND FABRICS IN BRIEF:

-A CLASSICAL FEEL, CHAIRS HAVE OVAL OR SQUARE BACKS AND TAPERED COLUMN LEGS;-ROUNDS TABLES ARE IN VOGUE;-VELVETS, BROCATELLE, DAMASK, FLOWERED SILKS, PAINTED SILKS, STRIPES

COLOURS-TERRACOTTA POPULAR;-PALE GREY, BLUE, GREEN, WHITE AND GOLD.

WINDOWS-LONG CASEMENTS;-MORE ELABORATE CURTAIN TREATMENTS, SWAGS AND TAILS.

CEILINGS-SKY CEILINGS MUCH IN VOGUE.

LIGHTING-CANDLEPOWER, CHANDELIERS, SCONCES, CANDELABRAS, OIL LAMPS. -