French Furniture and Gilt Bronzes

French Furniture and Gilt Bronzes
Author: J. Paul Getty Museum
Publisher: Getty Publications
Total Pages: 408
Release: 2008
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 9780892368747

"Each object is described and analyzed in terms of its provenance and published history, as well as its construction, materials, and conservation. With its painstaking attention to detail, this volume is the definitive catalogue of the Getty Museum's collection of French Baroque furniture and will be of interest to scholars, conservators, and all students of French decorative arts."--BOOK JACKET.

Pierre Gouthière

Pierre Gouthière
Author: Charlotte Vignon
Publisher: Giles
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 9781907804618

A major new volume on the life of Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813), the celebrated Parisian gilder to the French kings.

Decorative Art

Decorative Art
Author: Albert Jaquemart
Publisher: Parkstone International
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2012-05-08
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1780428847

From the Middle Ages to contemporary times, decorative art can be defi ned by the artistic materials, designs and objects used in both architecture and interior design. Similar to many art forms decorative art continues to evolve, originating with pieces as simple as a chair, noted for its utility, to purely ornamental objects, celebrated for their aesthetic beauty. Decorative Art aims to eulogize these often undervalued objects by giving praise to all mediums of decorative art throughout the centuries. Originally never considered as fi ne art, their artistic potential was not acknowledged until the twentieth century when industrial production replaced artisanal creation. The age, authenticity and above all the uniqueness of these precious objects have now become the new standards of quality and beauty found in decorative art. Join us in discovering the evolution of decorative art through this enticing survey of major masterpieces throughout time.

Marie-Antoinette

Marie-Antoinette
Author: Helene Delalex
Publisher: Getty Publications
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2016-07-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1606064835

Marie-Antoinette (1755–1793) continues to fascinate historians, writers, and filmmakers more than two centuries after her death. She became a symbol of the excesses of France’s aristocracy in the eighteenth century that helped pave the way to dissolution of the country’s monarchy. The great material privileges she enjoyed and her glamorous role as an arbiter of fashion and a patron of the arts in the French court, set against her tragic death on the scaffold, still spark the popular imagination. In this gorgeously illustrated volume, the authors find a fresh and nuanced approach to Marie-Antoinette’s much-told story through the objects and locations that made up the fabric of her world. They trace the major events of her life, from her upbringing in Vienna as the archduchess of Austria, to her ascension to the French throne, to her execution at the hands of the revolutionary tribunal. The exquisite objects that populated Marie-Antoinette’s rarefied surroundings—beautiful gowns, gilt-mounted furniture, chinoiserie porcelains, and opulent tableware—are depicted. But so too are possessions representing her personal pursuits and private world, including her sewing kit, her harp, her children’s toys, and even the simple cotton chemise she wore as a condemned prisoner. The narrative is sprinkled with excerpts from her correspondence, which offer a glimpse into her personality and daily life. Visually rich and engaging, Marie-Antoinette offers a fascinating look at the multifaceted life of France’s last, ill-fated queen.