Illustrated History of Furniture, fifth ed.: From the Earliest to the Present TimeLitchfield, Frederick
History
Illustrated History of Furniture, fifth ed.: From the Earliest to the Present Time
Litchfield, Frederick
Furniture -- History
THE THIRD EDITION.
LONDON:
Printed for the AUTHOR, and sold at his House, in St. Martin's Lane;
Also by T. BECKET and P. A. DE HONDT, in the Strand.
MDCCLXII.
_Fac-simile of the Title Page of Chippendale's "Director."_
(_Reduced by Photography._) _The original is folio size._ ]
[Illustration: _Two bookcases._
Nᵒ. LXXXVII.
_T. Chippendale invᵗ et delins._ _Publish'd according to Act of
Parliament 1769._ _J Taylor Sculp_
FAC-SIMILE OF A PAGE IN CHIPPENDALE'S "DIRECTOR." (The original is folio
size.)]
[Illustration: TEA CADDY,
Carved in the French style. (From Chippendale's "Director.")]
In the chapter on Louis XV. and Louis XVI. furniture, it has been shewn
how French fashion went through a similar change about this same period.
In Chippendale's chairs and console tables, in his state bedsteads and his
lamp-stands, one can recognize the broken scrolls and curved lines, so
familiar in the bronze mountings of Caffieri. The influence of the change
which had occurred in France during the Louis Seize period is equally
evident in Adam's treatment. It was helped forward by the migration into
this country of skilled workmen from France, during the troubles of the
revolution at the end of the century. Some of Chippendale's designs bear
such titles as "French chairs" or a "Bombé-fronted Commode." These might
have appeared as illustrations in a contemporary book on French furniture,
so identical are they in every detail with the carved woodwork of Picau,
of Canner, or of Nilson, who designed the flamboyant frames of the time
of Louis XV. Other designs have more individuality. In his mirror frames
he introduced a peculiar bird with a long snipe-like beak and rather
impossible wings, an imitation of rockwork and dripping water, Chinese
figures with pagodas and umbrellas; and sometimes the illustration of
Æsop's fables interspersed with scrolls and flowers. By dividing the glass
unequally, by the introduction into his design of bevelled pillars with
carved capitals and bases, he produced a quaint and pleasing effect, very
suitable to the rather effeminate fashion of his time, and in harmony
with three-cornered hats, wigs and patches, embroidered waistcoats, knee
breeches, silk stockings, and enamelled snuff-boxes. In some of the
designs there is a fanciful Gothic, to which he makes special allusion in
his preface, as likely to be considered by his critics as impracticable,
but which he undertakes to produce if desired--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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