Sun King Style
Fresh takes on a timeless design
By Alyssa Ford
Photo by Florian Papp Antiques (providers)
Louis XVI
“Ormolu” bracket clock by Breguet, circa 1780, $11,000; available through Florian Papp Antiques, New York, NY, 212-288-6770, www.florianpapp.com
Though the indecisive and conservative Louis XVI made a mess of politics during his reign, ticking off royals and the underclass alike, the decorative arts were aglow with fresh ideas. Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s call for “Natural Virtue” and engraver Charles-Nicolas Cochin’s appeal for a return to the restraint of the “Antique” period hastened the demise of Rococo. The 1748 discovery of the ruins of Pompeii inspired experimentation with Grecian decoration. One of the period’s great architects, Ange-Jacques Gabriel, designed Classical petits appartements for Versailles with fine marble fireplaces and scaled-down flourishes. By the time “Louis the Last” was beheaded on January 21, 1793, Le Style Louis Seize was in full-bloom and well on its way to Neoclassicism. While it doesn’t help the king much, the transitionally elegant style named after him continues to inspire designers more than 200 years later.
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Photos provided by Boyd Lighting, odegard inc.,
J. Robert scott, jonathan browning
6 ISSUES (1 YEAR)
