Week 10- French Renaissance and Baroque Periods

 This week in History of Interiors we learned about the French Renaissance and Baroque periods. The French periods start with the Early Renaissance in 1484 with Charles the VIII transitioning from Gothic to Renaissance and ending with Napoleon III with the restoration Styles all the way up to the late 1870’s (declining of good taste).  

One of the main people who promoted this initial Renaissance with Francois, a patron of the Arts, who attracted Italian artists, such as Leonardo Da Vinci, to work for him. Many Chateaus were built, which were large structures with elaborate interiors, surrounded by formal gardens with fountains or lakes. These homes contained many chimneys and large windows, with steep roofs containing multiple slopes to account for the weather.  

Francois I created Medieval forms, in square rugged designs with carved surfaces resembling late gothic. He used decorative elements such as human figures and salamanders which were the king’s personal symbol.  

During this time there were many different types of furniture, such as stretchers, upholstered chairs, chaise caquetoire (trapezoidal with decorative arms and backs), tables, beds, and chests.  

Ornamentation consisted of female (Caryatids) and male (telmones) statues. One type of furniture cabinetry is the Armoire a Deux Corps which had a smaller cupboard on tip and a lower larger cupboard on the bottom. This particular one was a wedding gift to the daughter of Henry III, Diane de France.  

(Armoire a Deux Corps) (Modern Day Application)

King Henry IV of France established workshops and apartments in the Louvre for artisans that were painters, cabinetmakers, goldsmiths, and sculptors, to work under the royal patronage to enhance the royal Chateaux.  

The Chateau de Chambord was built by Francois I, partially designed by Leonardo Da Vinci and was a Medieval structure decorated in Renaissance style. This was an extravagant hunting lodge, containing four towers, magnificent chimneys, dormer windows, and a double staircase that somehow never meet.  

(Chateau de Chambord) (Modern Day Application- Medieval Times Schaumburg, IL)

The Chateau de Fontainebleau was also a small hunting lodge but was transformed into one of the greatest palaces in Europe. Remodeled by Francois I, pilasters decorated flat walls, and square towers were asymmetrically placed. Its gallery had coffered ceilings in geometrical patterns, carved wall paneling, fresco paintings, sculptures, and high relief stucco ornaments designed by Italian artists, architects, and designers.  

The Chateau de Blois was an Italian prototype, having asymmetrical organization of its openings with depressed arches, its ornamentation was considered low-relief. It contained entablatures, classical pilasters, and its outdoor staircase provided variation to its facade.  

The Late Renaissance, in 1589-1643, was during the reign of Henry IV and Louis XIII. Louis XIV then transitioned to the Baroque style that lasted until 1700. In the Late Renaissance, Louis XIV, known as “The Sun King”, was a patron of the Arts, and was the longest reigning monarch.  

An artist by the name Caravaggio, now a famous painter, commissioned paintings for the church, and changed the course of art history by introducing bold innovations to composition, the use of light and the interpretation of mythical themes. 

Lavinia Fontaina was an Italian Mannerism painter, one of the only well-known female painters of her time, she became one of the highest paid artists in Italy, painting portraits of wealthy women.  

(Painting by Caravaggio) (Modern Day Application- by Peter Doig)

One Step Further: 

Peter Doig is a contemporary Scottish artist inspired by the work of Caravaggio. His paintings are characterized by their focus on both figures and landscapes, he melds art historical and personal references in abstract yet distinctive compositions.  

Doig was inspired by how real Caravaggio’s paintings felt, and while Doig’s paintings may not look as realistic, they still give the sense of time and space, they are relatable. In another article I read about Doig, he gives a quote about his personal thoughts on Caravaggio’s paintings, “I found them immediately accessible, and quite different from other Renaissance paintings. Sometimes the paintings actually don't seem quite right. I'm not talking about the straight portraits, but works like The Seven Acts of Mercy, where it looks as though he's looked at seven different incidents and then pieced together a picture out of these incidents. So there's no kind of logic to it in a realist way – it's not pretending to be a scene that you would actually see.”  

https://www.artnet.com/artists/peter-doig/

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/jul/25/caravaggio-scorsese-lachapelle-peter-doig