Le Style Louis Xvi

The style commonly known as the "Louis XVI style" was born out of the encounter between a movement denouncing the excessive aspects of the rocaille style (or Louis XV style) and a renewed interest in the Greco-Roman world.

From the end of the 1750s onwards, artists renewed their sources of inspiration and gave greater prominence to antique models, until, on the eve of the Revolution of 1789, they were virtually exclusive. This artistic transformation affected all art forms, and was particularly noticeable in the complementary fields of interior decoration and the decorative arts. Ornamentalists, cabinet-makers, woodworkers, silversmiths, sculptors, bronze-makers, porcelain, silk and tapestry manufacturers were all part of this movement.

Through a wealth of illustrations, this book by Yves Carlier, General Curator of Heritage and Deputy Director of the Museum at the Château de Versailles, sets out to explain the different phases and expressions of this style.