LOUIS XIV 1643-1715

Most of the furniture of this era was designed in the Baroque taste, modelled on the furnishings of the magnificent palace of Versailles, home of Louis XIV, the 'Sun King'. The furniture was of a heavy, masculine style copied from the Jesuit architecture of Italy. Each piece was designed to harmonize with the room it was to go in. The Italian cassone (chest) was transformed into the commode - essentially a coffer on legs with drawers. Very heavy ornate console tables were placed beneath huge mirrors. Beds were richly draped. Sofas and chaise longues came into use.
Decorations included masks, shells, trophies of arms, animals, mythological figures and royal symbols, such as the sunburst. Gilded and painted furniture was common and Chinese lacquered panels were used. Ebenists (cabinetmakers) such as Boulle, were the most important craftsmen, producing exquisite veneers and inlays in marquetry.

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