The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a very sweet collection of Louis XVI (16th) furniture. Unfortunately, most visitors at the museum blow right past this collection en route to another gallery, barely taking in the remarkable craftsmanship of these items. Besides being remarkable to look at, and loaded with history, these pieces are also extremely expensive. Recent auctions records at Sotheby’s place the value for just one of these secretaire’s at about 2.5 million… and up. What makes them so valuable is how short lived this period is, as well as how decorative these items are, and of course their association with the French Aristocracy.
Louis XVI, also known as the French Neoclassical Period, spanned less than 30 years. It was inspired by the discovery of Herculaneum and Pompeii in the mid 1750’s. Madame du Pompadour had an interest in all that was new and fashionable, and was hugely influential in the development of the ‘New Classicism’. Out were the Cabrio Legs and in came the new thin tapered leg. ‘Galleries’ around the top of the furniture helped prevent the spillage of exotic teas from the Orient. Sevres Porcelain was used to update older pieces, often times by replacing marquetry panels with the new and colorful porcelain. This period is also lighter in feeling, as well as much more colorful than the French Rococo Period that came before. As most of you know, this period came to an abrupt halt with the French Revolution in 1789. Outraged by the over taxation that was supporting the decadent royal courts, the citizens stormed the palaces and took back their country. After more than a thousand years of continuous French Monarchy, the guillotine came down, and heads rolled as the streets were filled with blood. It was an epic end to a period in history that produced some of the most remarkable furniture ever conceived. Multiple guilds were used for the metal work, the wood work, and the porcelain pieces. Therefore, every piece has multiple stamps to verify who produced it, as well as the year it was produced. These stamps help determine the provenance of the piece, as well as the lineage or ownership of the piece. I have no idea how many of these works are in private hands, but they do occasionally come up at auction, thus the high price point.
A word to the wise, if you’re looking to buy furniture of this era, or an specific period, please know that when the words ‘In the Style of’ are used, it means reproduction. Art Deco Style, in the Style of Louis XV, the Art Nouveau Style etc… reproduction, reproduction, reproduction. So, the next time you find yourself at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, take a moment to stand in front of these extraordinary pieces of furniture, and drink in as much of their details as you can. They represent a very rich piece of French history.
