- COMFORT IS ON THE WAY -
by the end of the eighteenth century there was an almost bewildering
variety of seating furniture to increase the comfort of life.
'idle positions' degenerated into undignified sprawling with the
encouragement of upholsterers and the practice of 'lounging in
graceless attitudes' was denounced as a breach of good manners.
the ever-growing ranks of the bourgeoisie sought warm,
luxurious interiors where comfort and the art of conversation
prevailed, and new furniture forms were created to meet these
needs. armchairs became smaller and more portable.
the addition of casters to chair legs facilitated the desire for
ad hoc intimate conversations.
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france
france picked up the essence of the renaissance from its
neighbor, italy. the louise quatorze and luis quinze periods were
especially prolific in chair construction.
the 'fauteuil confortable' (a comfortable upholstered armchair)
was one of the most popular furniture items in france.
in the 17th and 18th centuries under the leadership of sun king,
louis XIV, france became the world’s leader in the design and
the production of furniture. chairs of the period reflect louis' ardor
for the magnificient and the dignified. the style of louis XV is
generally known as rococo (1715 - 1774), it is highly artificial,
improving luxury and frivolity, ...
after 1750 french taste became all-important and their
styles were exported to germany, england, russia...
as a consequence, mid-century france underwent a re-evaluation
of its historical architecture and ornament:
the parisian cabinetmaking industry began to draw on the
furniture styles closely connected to royal patronage during
the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
under the regime of louis XVI (1774-1793), the extravagance
of the rococo gave away to a more pure and simple style.
the 19th century corresponded to a period of intense
economic growth and change in france brought about by the
industrial revolution and the rebuilding of the city of paris.
as a consequence, mid-century france underwent a re-evaluation
of its historical architecture and ornament:
the parisian cabinetmaking industry began to draw on the
furniture styles closely connected to royal patronage during
the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
chair design changed its form related to french furniture styles
in vogue during the reigns of louis-philippe (1830-1848)
and napoleon III,during the second empire (1850-1871).
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england
in early georgian times furniture passed through a phase of
heaviness. chairs were heavy and clumsy, lacking the spirit of
and grace of the french originals. but then the elegant lines of
the queen anne concept culminated in the golden age of
english furniture. although the period is dominated by the names
of the great arbiters of fashion such as adam, chippendale,
and sheraton, there were hundreds of small businesses
producing superb regional work.
the englishman comes always back to the pratical problems.
when architects and furniture makers had a sense of 'fitness
for purose' and a sense of style 'for the delight of the eye'.
'chinese taste', 'gothic taste' whatever the
craftsmen made, they retained their sense of proportion
and of fitness.
as travel between countries became easier,
french and italian designs exerted a greater influence on
british furniture ( and this happened about twice a century).
in 1828 the first patent for coiled wire springs heralded changes
of basic form and structure that were to revolutionize the design
of seat furniture. in order to accomodate the springs and cover
them adequately with layers of stuffing, seats had to be much
deeper, imparting a heavier, less elegant effect.
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italy
the golden age of italian furniture - italy was in the throes
of it’s own creative zenith-known as the renaissance.
by the 17th and 18th centuries, however, italy was also in the
throes of a powerful class polarization. that is, there was a rich
upper class and an impoverished lower class…
and virtually no middle class between them.
there is the wonderful legacy of 'working class' furniture.
unable to afford the expensive furniture of the upper class,
the poorer groups relied on a skill and ingenuity of local craftsman.
as to the shape of furniture, the italians were strongly influenced
by the english, dutch and french.
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spain
styles were no less susceptible to the english influence.
however, this is not to discount the uniqueness of the heavy,
rustic look and feel that can be found throughout furniture
of this time and era- a look and feel inspired by the basques
who live in the rugged regions of the pyrenees mountains in
northern spain. there was a fierce pride of craftsmanship that
exemplified the artisans of spain and a certain flair, a certain
drama if you will, that attends spanish furniture.
in the 17 th century a chair, known as 'sillon de frailero' or
friar's chair because of its austere shape, was one of the
most common types of chair throughout europe.
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mexico
this easy chair dates back to the days of the mexican conquest,
when cortez accorded 'equipales' as seats of honor to the ranking VIP's.
today they are still being made in the traditional way.
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scandinavia
cloaked in the long , cold, dark winters of their homelands,
the craftsmen of sweden, finland, norway, danmark and iceland
created furniture that suggested warmer sunnier climates -
-midwinter darkness has taught them to love the light'.
thanks to the abundant forests of scandinavia, a variety of
woods were employed by the furniture makers, including beech,
birch, pine and oak. strict proportion and line were the order
of the day, but the blend of simplicity with intricacy, of easy
comfort with timeless beauty typifies scandinavian's furniture.
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usa
in the united states, lavishly ornamented easy chairs in the
baroque and rococo revival style were especial favourites,
imparting, as they did an atmosphere of great luxury.
the fashion of the rococo—an ornamental style promulgated through
design books—coincided with a period of growing tension between
england and her colonies during the 1760s. although the american
merchant elite hungered for fashionable london goods, there was
broad-based sentiment in favor of boycotting british goods and
encouraging home manufacture.
heavily padded furniture alongside reproductions of the
18th century persisted until 1900, when a move towards simpler
designs had begun.
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china
before chairs emerged into their culture the chinese used
low platforms where either one individual or several
persons lounged during daytime.
later on, in the 17th century, chairs became common,
but were used without upholstery or cushions.
at the end of the 18th century, under european influences,
the chinese developed tiny little upholstered chairs,
covered with luxurious silks..
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india
among the varied consequences of the european arrival
in asia was the commissioning of furniture intended either
for export or local consumption. the availability of precious
raw resources and the artistic skills of the local artisans
are well known, and the establishment of european culture
in india resulted in the creation of new colonial styles.
the tradition of placing this type of furniture in 'gothic' and
'romantic' interiors continued into the 19th century.
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africa
the african furniture tradition is not well documented.
the reason for this lack of documentation were
social/cultural characteristic of the african people themselves.
the african tradition of orally passing on history does not provide
a good means for maintaining records of aesthetics.
the total concept of furniture had a different meaning to the
peoples of africa since there lifestyle was nomadic.
african societies and, as such, continue to play dynamic roles
in the lives of many societies.
stools and chairs were significant objects of leadership regalia,
but I could not find any documentation of the use of upholstered
armchair or easy chairs with cushions. |
french 'bergère en cabriole't, 1760–70
french easy chairs
british armchairs 1765–75
british armchair, mid-19th century
italian renaissance armchair, ca.1620
italian armchair, venician style, 1740
swedish armchair, 1750
rococo style of the 18th century
american wingback chair,
(british style inspired), 1758
photography of chinese woman sitting
on a cushion placed on an upholstered easychair,
with footstool, 1880
a raja's easy chair, 1800 ca.
anglo indian armchairs, circa 1850
indian armchair, 1855
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