Customer Reviews

French Furniture : From Louis XIII to Art Deco

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm an interior designer who collects important period 18th century French furniture. This book IS THE MOST EFFICIENT general reference to the particular periods covered and a minute step beyond the basics and generalities. For serious collectors & those who have already done their major homework - it is doubtful that you would attain additional knowledge from this book.

If you only have one reference book in your library on French Furniture, this is the one. For the beginning collector, the book provides clarification on terms and furniture types. For an appraiser, it's a great resource to help with identification of those forms which you do not see very often. There are only sketches, but they are clear, and provide very good detail. For those who simply want a better understanding of French furniture, this book is put together very well, and is easy to follow.

I am new to the techniques and methodologies of identifying French furniture. This book provides a good glossary of French terms which describe the characteristics of pieces and it provides a modest description for the common pieces made in the various styles. Line drawings and sketches provide examples of the characteristics described in the text. There are no photos, but the sketches are quite good. I'm rating the book a four because I think there should be more sketches. Not all the items described are exemplified with a drawing. Otherwise, this is a great book for getting started. The content is clear and does not bog down in minutia.

Through simple illustrations, this book lays out the periods of French furniture design in a clear, easy to comprehend manner. If you want to understand what you like, and what elements you are looking for, this is a great tool!