THE
CHAIR: A BRIEF HISTORY
It is widely believed that the Egyptians invented the chair. We first discovered
them in tombs, and on the frescoes of Pompeii. These early chairs, although
beautiful with ornate carvings, were more like small benches. The Greeks later
developed a more comfortable version called the klismos, which had sabre legs
with curving supports rising from the seat as a continuation of the back legs,
and had the first curved seat backs. A tub-shaped chair was designed by the
Etruscans, who later adopted the klismos style, as well.Later, in the middle
ages, chairs were utilitarian and of simple design, although very few examples
remain with us today. It was not until the Renaissance that the chair reappeared
as an important furnishing in people's homes. Different chairs were designated
for different castes. At court, armchairs were reserved exclusively for royalty.
It was during this period that increasing attention was first given to the design
of chairs with regard to both comfort and appearance.
A chair is just a chair, right? We beg to differ! In the world of antiques, there is a plethora of different styles, all of which can be found today. Here are descriptions of just a few of them:
Chaise: A simple side chair without arms.
Fauteuil: An armchair with open arms.
Fauteuil à la Reine: First appeared circa 1740 under Louis XV, this is an armchair with open arms and a flat back.
Fauteuil en Cabriolet: A side chair with a curved back to fit the human figure, this chair is smaller than an à la Reine style, and is therefore easier to move around.
Bergère: A low armchair that appeared in the early 18th century, it has full sides, either upholstered or caned, and a pull-out seat cushion.
Voyeuse: A bergère with an upholstered cresting rail so that while a game player was sitting at the table, an observer could rest their elbows on the cresting rail and watch the game over the player's shoulder.
Caquetoire: This chair first appeared in the 16th century, and was used for women to sit on while they chatted with one another. (Caqueter: French verb for to chat.)
Duchesse: An evolution from the daybed, this is a long armchair with two sides, each of a different height. This chair was either upholstered or caned, and is also the early version of what is now called the "chaise longue" or in English, the "chaise lounge." There were versions of this designed in two pieces, which was called the Duchesse Brisée.
Canapé: A long bench with extended armchair, open arms and back.
Sofa: A canapé
with closed arms.
CHAIRS THROUGH THE CENTURIES
Louis XIII style (reign: 1610-1643, style period:1610-1660) Under the reign of Louis XIII, the structure of the armchair had a straight cresting rail as well as a low straight back. It had an H-shaped stretcher as well as additional support between the two front legs, which were either straight, or "en spirale." The legs extended the line of the arm support.
Louis XIV style (reign: 1643-1715, style period: 1660-1720) The chair evolved considerably during the reign of the Sun King. The back became higher and inclined somewhat to accommodate the wig and high heels worn by men of this period. The arms and cresting rail tended to curve, as did the legs. Heavy molding on the wood became popular. Towards the end of the reign, the arms opened up, and the arm supports were pushed back slightly to accommodate the hoop skirt.
Regence style (reign: 1715-1725, style period: 1720-1730) This ten-year period was quite significant in the history of furniture. The nobility left Versailles and began to settle in hotels in Paris. As the rooms in these hotels were smaller, the chair shrank in size as well. Carving became more ornate, and the pied de biche (deer foot) became popular on the feet. Towards the end of the Regence, three new categories of seating appeared on the scene: Siège Courant (designed for comfort and easy to move around for different occasions) Siège Meublant (primarily for decoration and to remain stationary against the wall, often echoing the pattern of the room's tapestry or boiserie) and Siège Personnel (favorite chairs of individual family members; the 18th century version of a La-Z-Boy).
Louis XV style (reign: 1723-1774, style period: 1730-1760) Early in this period, the forms were curved and carvings of coquille and rocaille predominated. Towards the middle of the period, the carving was simplified and deep molding was the major characteristic with floret carving at the top of the cresting rail and the front legs. As the style evolved, the lines became straighter. The Louis XV style reign gave birth to many new styles such as the cabriolet, the à la reine, and the voyelle, voyeuse, and bergère.
Louis XVI style (reign: 1774-1789, style period: 1760-1790) This style began by combining elements of Louis XV and Louis XVI. Intensified excavation of Pompeii during the period led to a resurgence of classical style known as à la grecque. Later in the period, English style came into fashion in France and therefore the use of mahogany in chairmaking became popular. At the end of this stylistic period, a more sober and austere style known as à l'etrusque evolved and was the bridging style between the Louis XVI period and the Directoire period.
Directoire style
(reign: 1793-1799, style 1790-1800) Directoire sees a further evolution
of the style à l'etrusque, with chair seats and backs taking an almost
trapezoidal shape. Chair legs were spindled, while the back legs were "en
sabre" (sabered).
RESTORATION TIP:
For the maintenance of your natural wood furniture, we recommend paste wax. Apply a small amount of wax using a paint brush. Let the wax dry for 30 minutes to an hour and buff with a cotton cloth. This process should be done only when, by just polishing the furniture with a cloth, the sheen does not appear.
The following sourcebooks
were used in developing this newsletter:
Complete Guide to Furniture Styles by Louise Ade Boger
The Penguin Dictionary of Decorative Arts by John Fleming, Hugh Honour
The Style Sourcebook by Judith Miller
Form & Decoration; Innovation in the Decorative Arts by Peter Thornton