French Period - Neoclassical Style

French Neoclassical Style (1760 – 1789)

Before this style began, France was in Rococo style. Interestingly enough, Neoclassical style shared many design similarities from Rococo, as it was also developed and influenced by women. Both styles were influenced by the mistresses of the king, such as Madame de Pompadour.

 

Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764), also known as Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, was a member of the French court, and the official mistress of Louis XV from 1745 till her death. Since childhood, she was trained to be a mistress. She took charge of the King’s schedule, and acted as his aide and advisor. She was also a major patron of architecture and decorative arts (particularly porcelain), and also had a hand in bringing many Eastern influences to France.

-Petit Traianon

This was built between 1762 and 1768 during the reign of Louis XV. It is a small chateau located in the palace of Versailles in Versailles, France. It was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel by the order of Louis XV for his mistress, Madame de Pompadour. Since Madame de Pompadour died four years before the chateau’s completion, it was later occupied by Madame du Barry instead. Later on, Louis XVI gave the chateau and the surrounding park to the young queen, Marie Antoinette.


-Furniture

The amount of detail on this particular piece of French neoclassical décor is breathtaking. I love how the stretcher became an important aspect of design during this time period.

-Current Application

French neoclassical style is very popular in the furniture industry today. I am amazed by how little the design has changed from its initial style. The neoclassical style is still revered to this day, and as a result, modern interpretations differ little from their 18^th century counterparts.