LOUIS PHILIPPE
1830-1848

As the neoclassical legacy of the Empire began to weaken in the 1830's the influence of a burgeoning middle-class began to make itself felt. In terms of taste, this was translated into a trend toward eclecticism, and designers and cabinetmakers began to borrow features from every style from the Renaissance onwards. It was during these years that mechanical methods of manufacture were being introduced, many of which originated in France. The furniture made under Louis Philippe's reign is generally simple, robust, practical and comfortable. While being comparatively 'mass-produced' and less refined than that of previous eras, it is still furniture of very high quality.

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