Outstanding masters worked on the creation of a luxurious palace complex:
The style of Louis XIV is a trend in interior design of the mid-17th – early 18th centuries, which is characterized by an elegant combination of classicism and baroque. One of the most famous palace complexes in the world – luxurious Versailles – is decorated in the style of Louis XIV. The construction of this luxurious royal residence lasted more than 40 years, and the best architects, designers and furniture makers in France worked on the embodiment of the monarch’s grandiose idea.
The Louis XIV style is often referred to as the “Grand Style”, but not only in recognition of its significant influence on European architecture and design. This name also unambiguously emphasizes the scale and mind-boggling high cost of implementing the king’s grandiose plans.
Periods and features of the style of Louis XIV
The style of Louis XIV dominated France for over 70 years, and during this time it constantly underwent some changes. Design experts identify 3 main periods of the development of this direction:
Early (1643-1660) – with a predominance of motives of antique and French classicism.
Medium (1660-1690) – with extensive borrowing of elements of the Baroque style.
Late (1690-1715) – with a gradual shift in accents in the design of rooms towards free lines and lightness of forms.
The characteristic features of the Louis XIV style in interior design can rightfully be attributed:
Huge paintings by artists in sizes taller than human growth on the walls.
A large number of palace furniture made of elite wood species, decorated with skillful carving, inlay and gilding.
Refined shape of furniture legs (dressers, secretaries, tables, chairs and armchairs).
Upholstery of seats and backs with expensive fabrics with intricate ornaments. The abundance of carpets and silk fabrics in the decoration of the rooms.
Massive crystal chandeliers suspended from the painted ceiling.
A large number of very different decor (lace, tableware, forged items) in the setting of the premises.
Extensive use of marble and precious woods as the main finishing materials.
Rich design of mirror and picture frames.
The Sun King, with the help of a whole galaxy of skilled craftsmen, created a unique luxurious interior style, the grandeur of which still makes an amazing impression on any person. But these days, even the richest people rarely try to copy this setting in their apartments.
History
The history of the Grand Style is inextricably linked with the era of the reign of Louis XIV and dates back to 1643. The young 5-year-old king, who ascended the throne, inherited the Louvre from his father, which for more than 300 years was the official residence of French monarchs.
In those years, classicism prevailed in art, and the real government of France was in the hands of Cardinal Mazarin. Therefore, the early period of the Great Style was not marked by significant changes in design and architecture.
But in 1661, after the death of Mazarin, Louis concentrated absolute power in his hands and immediately began to act. He ordered the construction of Versailles, which was then a modest hunting lodge. The ambitious monarch attracted the best minds of France to the implementation of his plan, personally supervised the construction and expansion of the palace until his death.
Outstanding masters worked on the creation of a luxurious palace complex:
André Le Nôtre landscaped a huge area of more than 8.2 km² of the complex;
Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin-Mansart led the architectural work;
Charles Le Brun was appointed in charge of the interior decoration of the rooms of the palace;
André-Charles Boulle created luxurious furniture designs.
It is Charles Lebrun that most historians attribute the authorship of the creation of the Grand Style in interior design. The famous artist skillfully used the patronage of the king, selected the decoration for each room and personally painted the premises of the Palace of Versailles. For the effective implementation of the plans of the monarch, Lebrun founded the “Manufactory of royal furnishings”.
For almost 30 years this company has been producing for Versailles:
carpets and furniture;
lamps and draperies;
mosaics and window sills.
Lebrun managed to gracefully combine elements of classicism and baroque in a new design style, which the king liked very much. The artist supervised the interior decoration of Versailles until his death in 1690.
After the death of Lebrun, Louis XIV did not find a worthy replacement for him and gradually began to lose interest in the idea of further expanding his residence. In the next 25 years, the Grand Style, although it remained dominant, began to be seriously influenced by the nascent Rococo. The death of Louis XIV in 1715 marked the decline in popularity of the name style of the great French king. The time has come for changes and conditions have been created for the emergence of new trends in interior design.
In the early Louis XIV style, the principle characteristics of decor were a richness of materials and an effort to achieve a monumental effect. The materials used included marble, often combined with multicolor stones, bronze, paintings, and mirrors.
Explanation: Louis XIV's rule exemplified absolute power because he ruled without any legal limitations on his authority, making him an absolute ruler. He served as a model for future European rulers who sought to consolidate their power and centralize authority.
Furniture was inlaid with thin plaques of ebony, copper, mother of pearl, and exotic woods of different colors in elaborate designs. New and often enduring types of furniture appeared; the commode, with two to four drawers, replaced the old coffre, or chest.
Louis XIV recognized fashion's propaganda value as well as its economic importance, and he was deeply invested in establishing the technical and aesthetic superiority of France's clothing and textile industries.
During King Louis XVI's reign, tastes changed from the Rococo style, known for curved lines and heavy ornamentation, to clean, straight lines. Interiors and furniture during this period became refined and symmetrical and featured classical ornamentation and motifs.
Louis XVI style, also called Louis Seize, is a style of architecture, furniture, decoration and art which developed in France during the 19-year reign of Louis XVI (1774–1793), just before the French Revolution. It saw the final phase of the Baroque style as well as the birth of French Neoclassicism.
Louis XIV claimed that he was the direct representative of God, and therefore had absolute power in his kingdom. His most famous quote is "I am the state!", which shows his belief that whatever he wanted to happen, that was what the country needed to do.
Final answer: Louis XIV exemplified absolute power by centralizing all control and decision-making to himself, keeping the nobility in check, and not being restrained by any laws or constitutions.
Final answer: Louis XIV maintained absolute control over his subjects by centralizing government power, controlling culture and the arts, requiring nobles to reside at Versailles, influencing the economy through mercantilism, and embodying personal rule as reflected in state matters and his portrayals.
From 1660-1690, Louis XIV furniture was predominantly massive and highly ornate, which mirrored his dominant power. The thick embellishments on Loius XIV furniture are precise and symmetrical. At the time, the custom was that any decorative piece should include a blend of straight lines and curves.
A key difference between luxury furniture and other furniture is the option of total customization – from the type of wood, shape of the legs, colour of the fabric, patterns and much more. The idea is to create a piece that is one of a kind, and in most cases, one that reflects your input throughout the process.
The extravagant interior, however, could be called "Baroque," and certainly its huge size is "Baroque," if one defines "Baroque" as dramatic and overwhelming. The Palace of Versailles is a few miles outside Paris.
Louis XIV's reign was important in French history not just because it lasted so long but because he was a strong-willed ruler who was determined to make his subjects obey him and to make his kingdom the predominant power in Europe.
Louis XVI is also wearing a long-sleeved shirt of elaborate white silk, bouffant breeches, white silk stockings and light-coloured shoes with a large buckle and a red heel, as was the custom at court among the nobles. Like his grandfather, he is holding a hat decorated with white plumes in a white-gloved-hand.
French people like streamlined furniture with marble or glass tops. The French style of furniture is dominated by wood and original fabrics. The equipment has numerous decorations and carvings. Tables, chairs, chests of drawers, armchairs or consoles are equipped with bent legs.
The style was originally inspired by the Italian Baroque architecture style, but, particularly under Louis XIV, it gave greater emphasis to regularity, the colossal order of façades, and the use of colonnades and cupolas, to symbolize the power and grandeur of the King.
In the later part of the 19th century, romanticism combined with neoclassicism. Bringing straight lines of mahogany and brass into the forefront of interior design, and becoming the precursor to Art Deco.
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