DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68274#0242
Dutch and Flemish Furniture
History of Constantine, Scenes from the Old Testament,
Triumph of the Church, etc., are reproduced in
every workshop in Europe. His most famous work,
The History of Marie de' Medici, was finally completed
at the Gobelins manufactory during the reign of Louis
Philippe.
In furniture, during the seventeenth century, it may
be said that carved figures gradually gave way to turned
supports, and uprights; and the surfaces depended for
decoration on panelling of geometrical designs and
applied ornaments of real or imitation ebony. Another
favourite way of decorating the broad surfaces was to
inlay them in various designs with wood of different
colours. The latter taste rapidly advanced during this
century with the constantly increasing importation
of the beautifully coloured woods of the East and West
Indies. As the Flemish artists, moreover, went so often
to Italy for inspiration, Flemish marquetry, doubtless,
took its first stimulus from Italian taste. To quote a
learned critic1:
" The Italians of the Decadence had a passion for
ebony and coloured woods, and theatrical and compli-
cated decorations. Furniture completely changed its
physiognomy; the decorative panels with all their
ornaments, are renounced for plain surfaces on which
marquetry can be displayed to advantage. Forsaken
by fashion, walnut drops out of use ; profiles are multi-
plied ; the fine cuirs that were cut in solid bosses sprawl
about in an enervated, weakened fashion ; the straight,
firm and springing Classic column now becomes twisted
1 Bonaffe.
158
History of Constantine, Scenes from the Old Testament,
Triumph of the Church, etc., are reproduced in
every workshop in Europe. His most famous work,
The History of Marie de' Medici, was finally completed
at the Gobelins manufactory during the reign of Louis
Philippe.
In furniture, during the seventeenth century, it may
be said that carved figures gradually gave way to turned
supports, and uprights; and the surfaces depended for
decoration on panelling of geometrical designs and
applied ornaments of real or imitation ebony. Another
favourite way of decorating the broad surfaces was to
inlay them in various designs with wood of different
colours. The latter taste rapidly advanced during this
century with the constantly increasing importation
of the beautifully coloured woods of the East and West
Indies. As the Flemish artists, moreover, went so often
to Italy for inspiration, Flemish marquetry, doubtless,
took its first stimulus from Italian taste. To quote a
learned critic1:
" The Italians of the Decadence had a passion for
ebony and coloured woods, and theatrical and compli-
cated decorations. Furniture completely changed its
physiognomy; the decorative panels with all their
ornaments, are renounced for plain surfaces on which
marquetry can be displayed to advantage. Forsaken
by fashion, walnut drops out of use ; profiles are multi-
plied ; the fine cuirs that were cut in solid bosses sprawl
about in an enervated, weakened fashion ; the straight,
firm and springing Classic column now becomes twisted
1 Bonaffe.
158