The late Pierre Verlet, conservateur en chef du Departement des Objets d'Art at the Louvre, was the unquestioned expert on pre-Revolutionary French decorative arts. His definitive book French Furniture of the 18th Century (Les Meubles Francais du XVIIIe Siecle) has now been translated into English for the first time by Penelope Hunter-Stiebel, noted specialist in 18th century French furniture and former student of Verlet. The book contains a vast amount of information on the art of furniture in 18th century France. It examines the tools and techniques used in furniture making during that period; defines the various types of furniture developed; explores the organisation of the furniture industry, the working of the guilds and the relationships among makers, dealers, and clients; lists the outstanding makers and reproduces their marks; and discusses the market, restoration, forgeries, and the growth of public collections. Since the book was first published in 1955, previously unknown pieces of furniture have been discovered, and new documents and analyses have been taken into account in this augmented text.The book is enhanced by 16 pages of full colour and 174 black-and-white illustrations. The illustrations range broadly to allow for the juxtaposition of elegant and simple furniture and to include a variety of types, forms and decorations. This book is a valuable research tool for all curators, collectors, dealers, and art historians.

FURNITURE FOR THE GENERATIONS As a woodworker, you've no doubt admired examples of classic furniture. You know, the stuff that makes you go, "Wow! I wish I could build that." Now you can. Glen Huey, senior editor at Popular Woodworking magazine, takes you through each and every step of how to build 18th-Century furniture. And when you're done, the projects will last for generations. Complete plans, cutting lists and step-by-step photos with captions are included with each project. Here are some of the furniture pieces you will learn how to build: Massachusetts Block-Front Chest Pennsylvania Chest-on-Chest Chippendale Entertainment Center New England Chest & Bookcase Townsend Newport High Chest Federal Inlaid Table Shaker Small Chest of Drawers Massachusetts High Chest (highboy)

Presenting 10 projects -- from shaping the surface through layout to rough carving and detailed carving -- this guide explains the process of carving authentic motifs found on the most treasured pieces of 18th-century American furniture. Written with a two-pronged approach, the book first emphasises that these are learned skills and offers guidance while, secondly, providing all the complex details that serious carvers need to reproduce each element with confidence. Selected for their importance and popularity on museum-quality pieces, projects include the cabriole leg, Philadelphia-style ball and claw foot, carved foliage on knee, Philadelphia rosette, and Newport flame finial, among others.

An alluring look at the relationship of clothing and interior design in 18th-century France

Publisher description

The eighteenth century is rightly spoken of as the 'Golden Age of furniture-making', with some of the world's most impressive and exquisite furniture having been produced during this time. This lovely little book contains a detailed treatise on the eighteenth century furniture styles from Baroque to Rococo. A wonderful book full of detailed photographs and intricate descriptions, this text will be of great value to those with an interest in historical furniture and is not to be missed by the discerning collector. The chapters of this book include: France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Sweden, The Netherlands, Britain, and America (Colonial Period). Many antique texts such as this are increasingly rare and costly, and it is with this in mind that we are proudly republishing this text here complete with a new introduction on the history of furniture.