About American Rococo

What's not to love about Rococo?

Today scholars call the colonial American adaptation of Chippendale inspired furniture Rococo, after the French Rococo made in the early to mid 18th century.  This French style was a great source of inspiration for all of Europe. (4) The American adaptation occurred in America later that century; from approximately 1750-1790 (5) and the term rococo was adapted in the 19^th century. (6) 

The English furniture industry drew much inspiration from this French style during its golden age.  So it is only natural that the French influence is illustrated in plates 19 through 23 in the Director where Chippendale named the illustrations “French Chairs”. (7) 

Plate XX in TG&CMD

The Rococo style incorporates foliate (plant-like) and nature based forms carved into the furniture. While not obvious on these two chairs, the balance is always asymmetric. So I've added an image of an 18th century mirror, or "glass" where the effect is more easily seen.

In the chairs frames notice the “S” shape of the front legs of both French Chairs chair in plate XX. (Fig 4)  Then compare them to the photo titled "Chippendale style ribbon back armchair" in my first blog post and find that the shape of the front legs of both chairs is very similar. These legs are called cabriole and the curve an “S” curve.  Simple!

Other influences of Chippendale style are medieval Gothic and Chinese architecture and furniture.(8) Examples of these styles are found in TG&CMD on plates CVI for Gothic and CXXXII-CXXXVII for Chinese.  These influences play a smaller part in the American rococo style.   

The blog chair’s main stylistic influence is the French rococo, one of my yummy favorites! 

Hope your chairs "Roc", 
Theresa
Yummy Furniture and Design
theresamhs@sbcglobal.net
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Footnotes

4. Payne, Christopher, Sotheby’s Concise Encyclopedia of Furniture, Harper & Row, New York. 59

5. Kirk, John T. American Furniture, Henry N. Abrams, Inc. New York.  7

6. Payne, Christopher, Sotheby’s Concise Encyclopedia of Furniture, Harper & Row, New York. 59

7. Chippendale, Thomas, The Gentleman & Cabinet-Maker’s Director, Dover Publications, New York, Reprint 3^rd Edition. Plate XX                                                    

8. Payne, Christopher, Sotheby’s Concise Encyclopedia of Furniture, Harper & Row, New York. 78