The term Baroque often brings to mind highly decorative churches and theatrical artwork of 17th-century Europe, but this movement also expanded into the realm of furnishings. The substantive and extravagant Baroque style was a departure from the classicism of the Renaissance and would permeate the European courts and noble households of the era. Read on to discover the history of this opulent yet refined style.
History
After a long period of utilitarian furnishings mostly free of embellishment following the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Late Renaissance saw European furniture artisans begin to embrace more elaborate decoration and carving. Different furniture styles and designscontinued on this trajectory beyond the Renaissance, and Baroque period furniture celebrated opulent decoration like no era before. The style originated in Italy but soon spread to other parts of the continent, flourishing in Europe from the 17th century into the early 18th century when the lighter, more asymmetrical Rococo style came into fashion.
Two major cultural and economic factors shaped Baroque style furniture: new trade activity with the East and the Counter-Reformation. First, expanding trade meant that European artisans had access to new materials, techniques, and design influences. Second, the Counter-Reformation was the Catholic reaction against the Protestant Reformation, and the Catholic Church began to promote the Baroque style to exhibit their wealth and power. The Baroque emphasis on drama and emotion had mass appeal and was a way to cultivate a larger audience for the Church. Also, monasteries saw a new need for lecterns and writing desks, and the Baroque design became a staple in every well-appointed monastic library.
Characteristics
The Baroque period introduced a majestic, royal decor style. Pieces were massive and dominated by symmetry and heavy gilt bronze work, and the use of marquetry added refinement. Popular decorative motifs included foliage, putti, crests, and initials. High contrast in both the treatment of colors and surfaces was another characteristic of the style, as well as bold ornamentation and movement. Like the art and architecture associated with the movement, Baroque furnishings were highly dramatic, with every detail contributing to the overall harmony of the finished piece.
The preferred types of furnishings also evolved during the Baroque era. Commodes or chest of drawers, writing desks, and four-poster beds came into more general use during this era and remain standard furniture items in homes today. Heavy upholstery was both a decorative and functional addition to seating. Thanks to advances in glass blowing, mirrors also became popular, with the most impressive examples created for the famous Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
Regional Differences
Italy
Although the Baroque style was influential across Europe, there were variations in the movement from region to region. In Italy, where the Baroque movement began and grew out of the fading Renaissance, furnishings kept the symmetry and geometry of the Renaissance; however, there was a shift in size and proportion. Italian Baroque furniture commanded attention with its large size and exaggerated proportions. Furniture shared the theatricality of Baroque art with sharp contrasts of dark and light. Walnut and ebony wood were popular materials, and pieces often featured ivory and hardstone inlay.
France
Louis XIV brought the most talented artists and craftsmen from all over Europe to Paris to establish the city as the center of production of luxury goods. One of his most accomplished artisans was the famed cabinetmaker, André Charles Boulle, who was undoubtedly the master of inlaying materials such as brass, pewter, horn, tortoiseshell, and mother of pearl into ebony. This type of marquetry became known as Boulle work and is often considered the peak of achievement in decorative arts of the time.
Flanders and the Netherlands
Baroque furniture in the northern region of Europe was much simpler in design compared to their French and Italian counterparts. This quieter style was more interested in naturalistic carvings and realism. Northern artisans placed more emphasis on the use of luxurious timbers rather than the extravagant ormolu mounts of the Louis XIV style. Still, they employed and excelled in a number of Baroque decorative techniques, including marquetry and the use of tortoiseshell veneering and ebony.
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England
Browse M.S. Rau’s collection of Baroque oil paintings and antiques to find a piece that speaks to you. And if you’re looking to explore other furniture periods, read on about Federal style furniture and Victorian furniture styles to learn about their history and design.
Sources:
"Furnishings during the Reign of Louis XIV." Metmuseum.org. Accessed June 15, 2020. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lofu/hd_lofu.htm.
Gilman, Roger. Great Styles of Interior Architecture: With Their Decoration and Furniture. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1924.
Postell, James Christopher, James Christopher Postell, and James Christopher Postell. Furniture Design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
