12: Western European Furniture of the Baroque and Rococo Periods

In the Baroque era furniture acquired more luxurious forms. The straight backs of chairs became tall, while legs were strengthened by stretchers. Armchairs were often upholstered with painted leather. There was a vogue for cabinets raised on table-like bases, a particular form of furniture with a host of little drawers and niches. Each country had its favourite way of decorating such cabinets. In Flanders they were quite often faced with sheets of tortoiseshell and embellished with bronze mounts. Armchairs steadily acquired ever more Baroque forms; their arms were carved in the form of volutes; their legs were given s-shaped curves. The gradual translation to Rococo furniture brought lighter-weight constructions. This is seen particularly clearly in the designs of seating. Armchairs became lower and their seats grew larger as the arms became splayed in order to accommodate the dress fashions of the time. Furniture was often gilded or painted and upholstered with tapestry, embroidery or silk. Chest of drawers, a convenient type of furniture, came into fashion. Marquetry using veneers of different kinds was often used as decoration. There was an increasing variety of different types of furniture, with a hot of small tables, desks and secretaries appearing. This period also saw the development of furniture decorated in an oriental manner. The vogue for such chinoiserie accorded perfectly with the character of the period.