Journey Through Styles
A chronological history of European decorative arts
The Fascinating Journey of Art History
From the first cave paintings to digital creations, art history reveals humanity’s eternal quest for beauty and meaning. Each era, each style, each creator adds a unique brushstroke to this magnificent fresco that transcends time and borders.
In every curve of a rococo armchair, every line of a Bauhaus building, every nuance of an impressionist canvas, lies centuries of dreams, innovations, and human genius. Art history is not just a collection of objects and dates—it’s the intimate story of our relationship with beauty, functionality, and the sacred.
“Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth.”
Gothic Style
The art of cathedrals
The Gothic style revolutionizes European art by developing an aesthetic of verticality and light. Born in Île-de-France around 1140, it transforms architecture, sculpture, decorative arts, and furniture.
- Architecture: Ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, rose windows
- Furniture: Carved chests, pulpits, choir stalls, liturgical furniture
- Decoration: Stylized foliage, fantastic creatures, geometric motifs
Renaissance Style
The return to antiquity
The Renaissance marks a major cultural revolution in Europe, rediscovering the Greco-Roman heritage. Born in Italy in the 15th century, it spreads to France under François I and Henri II.
- Architecture: Classical orders, pediments, pilasters, perfect symmetry
- Furniture: Italian cassoni, French dressoirs, certosina marquetry
- Decoration: Grotesques, cut leather, arabesques, classical medallions
Louis XIII Style
The dawn of French grandeur
Under the regency of Marie de Médicis then the personal reign of Louis XIII, France develops its own decorative identity. This style marks a transition between late Renaissance and classicism.
- Furniture: Architectural forms, twisted columns, baluster legs
- Woods: Ebony, rosewood, solid walnut, relief carving
- Decoration: Mascarons, lion heads, geometric motifs
Louis XIV Style
French Baroque and Versailles
Under the reign of the Sun King, the Louis XIV style becomes an instrument of power and propaganda. This is the pinnacle of French baroque classicism, characterized by grandeur and opulence.
- Furniture: Boulle marquetry, gilded bronzes, carved solid wood
- Colors: Omnipresent gold, cardinal red, royal blue
- Motifs: Radiant sun, fleur-de-lis, mascarons
Regency Style
The refined interlude
Between Louis XIV pomp and Louis XV elegance, the Regency invents a more intimate art of living. Philippe d’Orléans breathes new softness into decorative arts.
- Line: Softening of forms, first appearance of curves
- Decoration: Watteau’s singeries, chinoiseries, emerging rocaille motifs
- Furniture: Curved commodes, bergères, drop-front secretaries
Louis XV Style
The art of Rococo curves
Madame de Pompadour and the spirit of Parisian salons revolutionize decorative art. French Rococo reaches unequaled sophistication, exported to all European courts.
- Forms: Mastered asymmetry, shells and volutes, cabriole legs
- Cabinetmaking: Floral marquetry, Martin lacquers, chased bronzes
- Palette: Pompadour pink, turquoise blue, celadon green
Chippendale Style
The visionary English cabinetmaker
Thomas Chippendale revolutionizes English furniture art with “The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director” (1754). His eclectic style blends French Rococo, Gothic, and chinoiseries.
- Material: Carved solid mahogany, first systematic use in England
- Styles: Anglicized Rococo, Gothic revival, chinoiseries
- Seating: Openwork backs, cabriole legs, “claw and ball”
Transitional Style
The art of synthesis
Between waning Rococo and emerging Neoclassicism, the Transitional style creates a harmonious synthesis. The discoveries of Pompeii gradually transform French taste toward the antique.
- Furniture: Faceted cabriole legs, geometric bodies, connecting blocks
- Marquetry: Geometric motifs, interlaced circles, compartmentalization
- Bronzes: Gouthière’s matte gilding, emerging neoclassical motifs
Louis XVI Style
The return to classical antiquity
In reaction to Rococo excesses, the Louis XVI style operates a marked return to Greek and Roman antiquity, influenced by the discoveries of Herculaneum and Pompeii.
- Geometry: Return to straight lines, fluting, oval medallions
- Repertoire: Acanthus leaves, pearl rows, quivers and doves
- Techniques: Geometric marquetry, black and gold lacquer, painted silk
Directoire Style
Revolutionary sobriety
Born from the French Revolution, the Directoire style embodies the republican ideal of simplicity and civic virtue. This style abandons monarchical splendor for a stripped-down aesthetic.
- Furniture: Straight and geometric lines, functional simplicity
- Materials: Mahogany, walnut, patinated bronze, abandonment of gilding
- Symbolism: Fasces, civic crowns, agricultural instruments
Consulate Style
Anticipating the Empire
Under Bonaparte’s Consulate, French decorative art prepares for imperial grandeur. Percier and Fontaine develop a “quasi-archaeological” style that announces the Empire.
- Furniture: Preferred mahogany, severe geometric lines, discreet bronzes
- Forms: Curule seats, boat beds, hock and claw feet
- Decoration: Palmettes, lyres, winged victories, first Egyptian motifs
Empire Style
The Napoleonic epic
Napoleon I makes decorative art an instrument of political prestige. Percier and Fontaine create a style of absolute coherence, spread throughout conquered Europe.
- Symbolism: Eagles, fasces, laurel crowns, letter N
- Furniture: Solid mahogany, mercury-gilded bronzes, bronze applications
- Textiles: Figured silks, embossed velvets, gold thread embroidery
Biedermeier Style
Bourgeois art of living
Born from post-Napoleonic prosperity in Austria and Germany, Biedermeier embodies the bourgeois domestic ideal. This aesthetic of functional comfort favors local light woods and discreet elegance.
- Woods: Light local species (cherry, maple, walnut), careful veneering
- Forms: Simple geometry, measured curves, harmonious proportions
- Spirit: Functionality, comfort, family living art, bourgeois intimacy
Restoration Style
The return of the Bourbons
Under Louis XVIII and Charles X, royalist France attempts to reconnect with the Ancien Régime while integrating Empire style achievements. This delicate synthesis produces transitional decorative art.
- Furniture: Return to Louis XV and XVI curves, softening of Empire lines
- Decoration: Rediscovered fleur-de-lis, troubadour Gothic motifs, emerging romanticism
- Techniques: Light marquetry, more discreet gilding, black lacquer development
Louis-Philippe Style
The bourgeois monarchy
The “citizen king” Louis-Philippe d’Orléans embodies a bourgeois art of living that democratizes luxury. This eclectic style mixes historical references in a spirit of family comfort.
- Furniture: Assumed eclecticism, revival of French styles, bourgeois comfort
- Materials: Flame mahogany, rosewood, first industrial uses
- Decoration: Floral motifs, romantic scenes, emerging orientalism
Victorian Style
English eclectic opulence
Under Queen Victoria’s reign, prosperous England imposes a decorative style of unprecedented richness. Eclecticism triumphs, mixing neo-Gothic, Rococo, and oriental influences in an aesthetic of ornamental abundance.
- Furniture: Dark woods (mahogany, rosewood), elaborate sculptures, tufting
- Decoration: Ornamental abundance, floral motifs, gilding, complex wallpapers
- Comfort: First comfortable furniture, Chesterfield armchair, generous upholstery
Napoleon III Style
Triumphant eclecticism
Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie preside over an era of assumed eclecticism. Napoleon III’s apartment at the Louvre illustrates this composite aesthetic where neo-Louis XIV, neo-Renaissance, and orientalism coexist.
- Principle: Mixture of historical references, ostentatious luxury
- Techniques: Perfection of gilding, development of electroplating
- Furniture: Period copies, neo-Louis XV and XVI creations
Arts and Crafts
The craftsmanship revolution
William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement revolutionize decorative art in reaction against industrialization. This philosophy advocates a return to traditional craftsmanship and the beauty of handmade work.
- Philosophy: “Have nothing in your house that is not useful or beautiful” according to William Morris
- Techniques: Return to traditional know-how, art crafts, natural materials
- Aesthetics: Simplicity of forms, plant motifs, architecture-decoration integration
Art Nouveau
The botanical revolution
Émile Gallé, Louis Majorelle, and the Nancy School revolutionize French decorative art. Art Nouveau reconciles craftsmanship and emerging industry through an ornamental language inspired by nature and organic forms.
- Inspiration: Plant forms, natural asymmetry, japonism
- Materials: Multilayer glass, wrought iron, marquetried exotic woods
- Colors: Tender greens, golden browns, purples and mauves
Art Deco and Interwar Period
French modernity
The 1920-1940 years see the coexistence of triumphant Art Deco, the return to classical sources, and the beginnings of modernism. The 1925 International Exhibition consecrates “French taste” against European avant-gardes.
- Classic Art Deco: Ruhlmann, Leleu, Groult — luxurious geometry and precious materials
- Elegant modernism: Jean-Michel Frank, Pierre Chareau — refined simplicity and functionalism
- Materials: Lacquer, shagreen, Macassar ebony, precious metals, art marquetry
Resources
Design Fundamentals
History of Design & Decorative Styles
From baroque salons to the radical lines of the 20th century, this chronological timeline highlights the aesthetic revolutions that have marked our daily environment.
Read the article “History of Design & Decorative Styles”Hart Design Glossary from A to Z
Sabre legs, patina, passementerie, caning… This lexicon gives meaning to the technical and stylistic terms often used in the design world.
Access the Hart Design GlossaryHart Glossary of Design Icons
This glossary lists all the great names in design and decoration in alphabetical order. Discover the creators who have shaped contemporary living art.
Access the Hart Glossary of Design Icons
