Mercier Frères Transition Style Commode
21.01.21
The Transition style: historical landmarks
The Transition style covers the period from 1750 to 1774 and refers to the stylistic evolution which, in the second half of the reign of Louis XV and at the very beginning of the reign of Louis XVI, is characterized by the abandonment of Rocaille curves and extravagances in favor of straight lines, symmetry and harmonious proportions.
The transition from the Louis XV to the Louis XVI style was gradual. Initially, Louis XV ornaments and forms were juxtaposed with neoclassical ones, inspired by Greek models . Later, during the reign of Louis XVI (1774-1793), only the classically inspired attributes were retained, giving rise to the neoclassical style .
Transition style chest of drawers, three-quarter view
This evolution of taste in the mid-18th century is linked to the vogue for archaeology, sparked by the discoveries of the cities of Herculaneum (1748) and Pompeii (1752). These historical events led to the publication of numerous illustrated books and the dissemination of engravings, which depicted Greco-Roman architectural motifs and orders, democratizing this new style known as the "Greek style" .
German scholars then present in Rome, such as Goethe (1749-1832) or Johann Joachim Winckelman (1717-1768) - archaeologist and art historian, author of Reflections on the Imitation of Greek Works in Sculpture and Painting (1755) and of a History of Ancient Art (1764), seized upon Antiquity and strove to demonstrate, through their writings, the supremacy of the Greek ideal of beauty.
In France, the Encyclopedists attacked the frivolity of Rococo art. Denis Diderot condemned the lighthearted subjects of François Boucher (1703-1770) and extolled the moralistic paintings of Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805). Jean-Jacques Rousseau , for his part, questioned the society of his time ( The Social Contract , 1762) and advocated a return to nature. Quatrère de Quincy (1755-1849), faithful to Winckelmann's ideas, published an Essay on the Ideal Furthermore, French artists and architects traveled to Italy to study ancient monuments, ruins, and antique objects found intact near Mount Vesuvius. They all agreed in denouncing the artificiality of art under the reign of Louis XV and aspired to a return to order and morality.
Some figures who favoured a return to Antiquity, such as Madame du Barry , favourite of King Louis XV, helped the rise of the Transition style by commissioning cabinetmakers to create "Greek-style" furniture for the furnishing of her castle in Louveciennes.
Transition style commode: coin motif, interlaced friezes and crown handle
Furniture, decor and ornaments of the Transition style
The brief period known as the "Transition" is characterized first by a straightening of the Rococo curves , which, however, did not disappear completely. The return to straight lines and symmetry, inspired by Antiquity, gradually took place before triumphing definitively under Louis XVI. Furniture followed this evolution, reviving the fashion for flat surfaces and right angles. Parallel and perpendicular lines became increasingly the norm in decoration. Curved commodes gave way to straight fronts but retained cabriole legs, adorned with a more or less pronounced curve. Their frame consisted of two large drawers without a crossbar and a small drawer in the frieze. The rigidity of the lines was softened by chamfered edges, rounded corners, and projections.
On furniture, the "Greek style" is manifested through ornaments recently rediscovered on monuments, mosaics, and antique decorations: rosettes, palmettes, garlands, interlacing patterns, pearls, coins, heart-shaped motifs, and ribbons broken at right angles. Simultaneously, marquetry with geometric designs developed, featuring cubes, checkerboards, lozenges, and backgrounds with a grid of small flowers known as "à la reine" marquetry. These geometric patterns are repeated, emphasizing the structure of the furniture.
The molding , fine and elegant, less accentuated than under Louis XV, is also inspired by antique moldings.
A whole new ornamental grammar, translated into marquetry and gilt bronze, took its place on the tables, chests of drawers, bonheur-du-jour desks, and secretaries of the period. Some decorative motifs already existed under Louis XIV, but ornamentalists refined and reworked them to bring them up to date.
Transition style techniques
The marquetry and frieze of the Transition style
The marquetry technique reached its highest degree of perfection around the mid-18th century. Cabinetmakers retained this technique but adapted it to the neoclassical ornamental repertoire. Exuberant floral marquetry was gradually replaced by more restrained designs, or by simple veneer work aimed at producing geometric patterns , framed by straight borders.
Transitional gilt bronzes
The bronze mounts, still present, are considerably lighter and are generally supplied by foundries. New antique-style motifs in the form of rosettes, drapery, ribbons, posts, laurel wreaths, coins, cascading acanthus leaves, and Greek key patterns are applied to the cubic bodies of the furniture. The facades are adorned with square or rectangular panels, with re-entrant angles and rosettes.
The cabriole legs feature Louis XV bronze mounts chased with cascading foliage. These bronze mounts serve both as a transition and reinforcement between the curved legs and the rectilinear frame of the piece. For the commodes, the faceted, cabriole legs elegantly extend the smooth, angular surface of the uprights.
19th-century period furniture
During the second half of the 19th century, cabinetmakers embracing eclecticism, such as Antoine Krieger (1804-1869) and Mercier Frères (1828-1985), created furniture in the Transitional style . Examples include chests of drawers and display cabinets with straight bodies resting on cabriole legs, like our chest of drawers, signed Mercier Frères . These high-quality pieces of furniture were exhibited at the Universal Exhibitions in London and Paris, and some were acquired by the Imperial Court of Napoleon III.
These eclectic productions respond to the demands of a society strongly enamored with the past. On the occasion of the Universal Exhibition in London in 1851 - where the French artistic industry was placed in the first rank, Léon de Laborde (1807-1869) - French archaeologist and scholar trained in Germany, published a report in which he recommended that French manufacturers reconnect with tradition and understand, before creating, the particular taste of each era.
Cabinetmakers responded to this taste for the past by rediscovering and appropriating the principles and techniques of their predecessors. Some learned to sculpt Renaissance-style , others specialized in imitating copper and tortoiseshell inlays after André-Charles Boulle , while many houses produced marquetry furniture adorned with finely chiseled gilt bronzes, inspired by 18th-century styles .
Most homes built during the Second Empire featured exclusively reconstructions of the past medieval and Renaissance dining rooms Louis XIV salons Louis XV boudoirs Louis XVI bedrooms . Empress Eugénie contributed significantly to the rediscovery of Ancien Régime styles, particularly the Louis XVI style.
Restoring the chest of drawers: a work of patience
In order to restore this beautiful chest of drawers to its original condition , we restored it according to the rules of the art in our workshop.
Our team of restorers first dismantled the chiseled and gilded bronze pieces in order to clean them and restore their shine.
Then, after finely sanding the marquetry , they revived it to highlight its original grain and colors. They then used the French polishing , which consists of applying a pouch to the wood, into which cotton wick soaked in polish is placed, describing successive figure-eights with a regular motion.
The veined marble top was sanded to even out the surface and remove any signs of wear and irregularities. Finally, the marble was buffed and polished to restore its luster and shine.
The restoration of this chest of drawers was a long and patient process which allowed us to restore to this very beautiful Transition chest of drawers all its splendor and elegance.
