IT is natural that the historic styles of furniture should correspond with those of architecture. The architectural arts as practiced after the Middle Ages may be divided into the Renaissance and the Rococo styles. The styles did not confine themselves to any one of the European countries, but spread from one to another, developing more or less in each and continuing for various periods.

The Renaissance began in Italy early in the fifteenth century and reached its zenith in that country in the same epoch, but it was at the beginning of the sixteenth century that it became the model for other countries. In Italy the Renaissance, sometimes called the Italian style, has been divided into two varieties-the early Florentine and Venetian, and the Roman.

The first of these was confined to the cities which gave their names to it, but the second extended over Western Europe, where it ran its course, becoming less and less refined, until it finally gave way to the Rococo.

It is the decline of the Renaissance, the Rococo and the reaction which immediately followed it which now concern us directly. It was then that the elaborate, showy fashions which are today spoken of as the "French styles" flourished. The better tendencies of the Renaissance influence in France had pretty much disappeared in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and the natural laws of structural design were neglected. This state of things progressed until it reached the crisis during the reign of Louis XV., which is especially characterized by this class of design. A reaction resulted, producing the style of the time of Louis XVI., which was followed later by extreme severity in design at the time of the Empire. In speaking of the styles, it is usually customary to couple the name of the country with that of the style, as for instance, French Renaissance, German Rococo. This is not always a definite indication of the exact character of the work, however, as the style may have extended over a long period or have varied greatly during the time it flourished.

In order to be more explicit, the name of the ruler is substituted for that of the country, thus: Louis XIV., Elizabethan, etc. When an architect or cabinet maker has made himself especially prominent by his work, which has a certain individuality aside from the general characteristic of the times, his name is sometimes linked with that of the ruler, thus: Lepautre's Louis XIV., or Martin's Louis XV. work. It is more especially true, perhaps, in furniture work that the maker's name is used as the title of a style, and it is then usually the result of his adhering quite closely to some particular methods of manufacture rather than any direct variance from the prevailing style. When the name of a maker is so used we ought to be sufficiently well informed to know at once the peculiarities and period, even though the dates may not be recalled. It is not sufficient to know that Boulle work is in the Louis XIV. style; we must know what Boulle work is, and also what is the character of the Louis XIV. style that distinguishes it from other styles.

When we analyze furniture of the Louis XIV. epoch we find that under the elaborate ornament the constructive form and the strength and stability is retained. Cabinets and similar articles with an almost severe rectangular body without curves to relieve them are common. Sometimes a corner is enriched by a post ending in a short curve as it joins the foot, and occasionally curved lines are used freely. Toward the end of the period they became more common, until finally the Louis XV. style, with its tortuous lines, was evolved. During the best period of the Louis XIV. furniture such curves as are introduced are curves of single flexure; or. if two curves are employed, they are generally separated by a straight line. This is particularly true of the plans of cabinets, bureaus, frames and tops of tables.

The plans in the Louis XV. style of work are made up of lines having greater curvature. Usually the curves are doubled and flow into each other without the intervention of the straight line.

The straight line has been avoided in Louis XV. work, and also to a great extent all flat surfaces. The sides and faces of cabinets which are flat in both the Louis XIV. and Louis XVI. periods are during the Louis XV. period bowed or swelled out in the middle.

LOUIS XIV.

LOUIS XV. TABLE LEGS.

LOUIS XVI.

LOUIS XVI. OUTLINE PLAN.

The legs of Louis XIV. chairs and tables are quite erect, and though the outline may be curved or broken, there is generally a sense of support. If a line is drawn vertically through the middle of the leg it usually divides it symmetrically. Louis XV. legs are bent in curves of contrary flexure, and as the style declined these curves became so great as to destroy all feeling of structural support.

The reaction introduced during the reign of Louis XVI. produced delicate turned and square tapered legs without any curves. These legs are not nearly as heavy as those of the Louis XIV. work, but are upright and symmetrical on a vertical axis.

Aside from the general contour of furniture, we have the changes in the styles of ornamentation to aid us in judging the period of the article.

It is difficult to determine what is the period of an article unless it was made during the years when the style was at its zenith, for otherwise it represents more or less the transition. Details that may be considered as characteristic of a style may also be found in that preceding or following it. The acanthus leaf is an ornamental feature found in all styles, but the details of the lobes and serrations differ somewhat in each. During the reign of Louis XIV. it has a strung-out appearance, as if blown by a strong wind, and the lobes are deeply cut. At times it is twisted and scrolled, so as to have a strong feeling of rotary motion. The veinage is marked firmly and carried well back on the stems. In the next period the lobes and serrations are more finely cut, each apex being acute and more or less sharply curled at the end. Each division of the leaf may be twisted or curled, as may also the entire leaf.