At that period in his career when he was of an age to decide what course he should adopt and pursue, there were two styles in furniture and decoration which shared the favour of the public on the other side of the Channel - the "Louis - Quatorze," the popularity of which was gradually waning, and the "Louis-Quinze," which was supplanting it by leaps and bounds. It is evident to all who have closely followed the development of his work, that this master set himself, with fixed determination, to make a careful study of both those old French modes, and that he did so to such an extent as to become completely enamoured of them. So great indeed was the fascination they exerted upon his mind, that everything he did for a time revealed their influence in a most marked degree. In his complete mastery of the "Louis-Quatorze" and "Louis-Quinze," particularly of the latter, the secret of both Chippendale's strength and weakness, and success and failure, is to be found. On the one hand, it endowed many of his designs with a piquancy and consequent charm which they would not otherwise have possessed; on the other, it led him to indulge in extravagances which, as we shall see later, were altogether unpardonable. (When I speak of Chippendale's "success" and "failure," the former must be taken in a commercial and the latter in an artistic sense; for many of his greatest atrocities sold far better in his own times, and sell far better to-day, than did examples which were characterised by better taste. It is, unfortunately, not at all uncommon for such to be the case.)

It was not, however, from the French alone that Chippendale borrowed. The "Gothick " came in for a share, though not a great share, of his attention. He also tried to, and, as a matter of fact, did improve upon the futile attempt strenuously made by Sir William Chambers to adapt Chinese forms and ideas to our Western requirements; endeavouring to create a sort of "Anglo-Chinese" style which would not be out of place in the British home.

Thus, as will be apparent already, there are at least three distinct phases of "Chippendale," each equally authentic, and each of which will be duly considered in turn; while mention must be made of a fourth later. We will commence with the "French," as being the most important.

If any justification be demanded by the reader for my assertion that Chippendale became, so to speak, saturated with the spirit of the "Louis - Quatorze" and Louis-Quinze," it will easily be found not only on one but on all the plates included in this chapter. The designs here given furnish ample proof, for the satisfaction of all who may object to my "point of view," that my judgment has not merely been formed after the examination of a few solitary and exceptional examples discovered here and there. It must be noted, moreover, that the models illustrated are absolutely characteristic in every respect, are reproduced from "The Gentleman's and Cabinet Maker's Director" itself, and include the very cream of Chippendale's designs. No possible exception to their selection or introduction can, therefore, be taken.

Yet there is a certain individuality about the majority, though not all, of the pieces illustrated, which marks them most distinctly and unmistakably as "Chippendale," so that, permeated by French influence as they are, they could not be described with any degree of accuracy as in the French Style. Take, for example, all the chairs shown on Plates I., II., III., IV., V., VI., and IX.

In what, then, reposes the secret of this individuality? The explanation is not far to seek. The truth is that Chippendale elected, as a general rule, to follow on the lines of the Parisian chair maker in the matter of detail rather than in that of form, as will be apparent from an examination of the chairs referred to; and, although he indulged to his heart's content in the employment of Rococo coquillage, it was generally employed by him - I am speaking of his chairs now - to "dress up" forms of a comparatively simple character. The same remark applies, though in a smaller degree, to his cabinet work, but that we shall discuss later.

The general outline, or shaping, of the majority of "Chippendale-French "chair backs varies but slightly from that of the model indicated in Fig. 1, Plate I.; therefore little or no difficulty will be experienced in classifying them correctly. The "Chippendale-Chinese" chairs, it is true, differ from these almost in every point; but they form a distinct group and will be dealt with by themselves.

The backs of chairs of the type at present under review are nearly always slightly wider at the top than in the middle - that is to say, where the back legs join the seat - the width diminishing downwards in a slight, indeed almost imperceptible, though extremely graceful, curve, not by any means easy to imitate. The legs, which, in the back, sometimes have the corners rounded off, and which taper upwards in most subtle shapings, usually "finish square" beneath the seat, and sometimes, though not very frequently, terminate in a shaped, and occasionally decorated, toe. Sometimes they form a right angle to the seat (underneath), and at others curve slightly backwards to the toe (see accompanying illustration). The backs of the " Chippendale-French" chairs always curve backwards to the top, as shown. These characteristics may be regarded as unmistakable and distinguishing features; and where they are found exactly as described we may be pretty confident in pronouncing judgment. With regard, however, to the filling in of the space between the upper part of the two back legs - that is to say the back proper - the variations to be met with are most numerous. Their number, though, need not cause any misgiving, for the variations, many as they are, and complicated as they may appear to be, are so closely allied one to another that to identify them at a glance, after even comparatively little study, is the simplest thing imaginable.