18th Century, Night Table With Mythological Figures

18th century, Louis XVI

Night table with mythological figures

Inlaid wood, cm 78 x 58 x 36

The piece of furniture under examination is a refined example of a Louis XVI-style one-door bedside table, made of inlaid and finely decorated wood, dating back to the 18th century.

The Louis XVI style was born in France in the last decades of the eighteenth century, spreading rapidly throughout Europe: it was characterised by clean, classical and elegant lines, in contrast to the asymmetry and abundance of decorative elements typical of the Rococo and Louis XV styles, the two great styles that defined the previous era. A key element of the Louis XVI style was a renewed interest in the themes of classical Greek and Roman culture, which led to a preference for linear forms, geometric composure, and symmetrical decorations, sometimes evocative of antiquity: garlands, laurel leaves, Greek motifs, floral motifs, mythological inlays, columns, and capitals combined with precious materials such as wood, gilded bronze, and marble, in a formal synthesis that reflected the new taste of the time. Even today, style furnishings are synonymous with elegance and prestige, following, therefore, a simple yet elegant and refined taste, carefully crafted down to the smallest details with extreme precision.

The technical perfection of their execution is so high that it is almost impossible to create copies, which is why it is very rare for Louis XVI-style furniture to be falsified. The Louis XVI style was considered the golden age of French furniture, where demand from the aristocracy was high and frequent. In the case in question, the iconography placed on the various faces of the piece of furniture appears particularly refined, showing inlaid and corpulent female figures captured in dynamic poses inside a round medallion.