A virtual tour and history of French antiques in the 17-18th centuries with Toma Clark Haines, an American living and working abroad for over a decade. Toma founded The Antiques Diva™ and Co using a team of guides leading antique buying tours throughout Europe. Toma is an in-demand freelance writer, international speaker, interior decorator, champagne connoisseur and social media addict.

2. Today we’re going on Antiques Diva® Tour
No Passport Required!
• We’re going to do a virtual tour through the
centuries discussing Style.
• There is NO BETTER Place to start a Style Tour
than in France - French Design throughout the
centuries has influenced how the rest of le
monde lives.
• We’ll discuss Louis 14th, 15th and 16th
• Afterwards I would love for join me for a
Champagne Brunch
An Antiques Diva Tour

3. The Antiques Diva®
• I own Europe’s largest antiques touring and
sourcing company.
• We lead one on one customized antique
buying tours in 11 countries and I have 19
guides.
• We work with tourists and the trade –
antique dealers and interior designers
sourcing antiques abroad.
• In essence we’re European Pickers!
• On tour we translate, we negotiate and we
liaise buyers with international shippers to
help get your goods home sweet home
across the pond.
• For those times when you can’t travel in
person we offer Buying Services Shopping On
Your Behalf.
Toma Clark Haines
Chief Executive Diva
The Antiques Diva® & Co European Tours
www.antiquesdiva.com

4. In The Beginning
• I’m American and have lived in
Europe 15 years - I lived 5 years
in Paris, 4 ½ in Amsterdam and
currently reside in Berlin
• I’m a Rancher’s Daughter from
Oklahoma but my whole life I dreamed
of far-away places.
• Other kids drew Houses with Picket
Fences…. I drew a Palazzo in Venice.
• In 1999 I moved overseas and it
changed my life…. My hobby for
antiques lead me to writing an antique
blog and that blog became a business….
THE LARGEST EUROPEAN ANTIQUES
TOURING COMPANY.

5. • If France were the sun and antique
shoppers were the world then our buying
patterns revolve around French finery as if
one of the Louis cast a spell to magnetically
pull all future generations towards the
treasures of La République!
• But have you ever wondered how to tell
Louis XIV from Louis XVI and why Louis XV is
perhaps the most reproduced style in the
world?
• In spite of the fact that these three kings
were the ruin of the French monarchy,
Louis-cubed did something right.
• Their pursuit of gracious living and 150-
year-long contribution to the arts is the
greatest influence ever made on the world
of design.
La République!

6. • When it comes to discussing French
Antiques we refer to the various styles for
the reigning monarch.
• For centuries, fashions came from the top,
down - Each new king had his own style
that differentiated his reign from the
others.
• There is never a rigid divide from one style
to the next
• There were a couple of transitional styles as
tastes changed, but for our purpose we’ll
concentrate on the high points of the Louis
Styles.
La République!

7. Louis XIV - 1643-1715
• Louis XIV was known as “The Sun King”
• I like to refer to him as “Baby Baroque” the
style for which his period is known.
• He is renowned for his exorbitant Court and
spectacular events at his palace of Versailles.
• Louis Quatorze ruled as King of France from
1643 until his death.
• He believed he was appointed by God and thus
was an absolute power.
• He became King at age 5 - his reign was 72
years and 110 days long.
• In order to understand how Baby Baroque lead
to the fall of France… you need to understand
the context of his upbringing.

8. Louis XIII - 1601 –1643
• Let’s Go Back In Time – Louis XIV’s father was
Louis XIII.
• Louis 13th succeeded his father Henry IV as king
of France a few months before his 9th birthday.
• Louis 13th mother was Marie de' Medici and she
acted as his regent during Louis's minority.
• Louis XIII married Anne of Austria - They were
both 10 when engaged, and 14 when married.
• On their wedding night Louis XIII was forcibly
carried into the wedding chamber – and nurses
watched to confirm the act of marriage took
place.
• Serious diplomatic concern. It took 23 years after
their wedding for their son Louis XIV to be born in
the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
• Louis XIV was actually named Louis Dieudonné
(Louis the God-given) because his birth was
considered a divine gift
• .

9. Louis XIV - 1643-1715
• Louis XIII dies and Louis XIV took the throne at the
age of 5.
• When he made Versailles his permanent home he
insisted the nobles to move with him. Versailles had
been a hunting lodge but in an act of decorating
flourish that changed French history he set about
redecorating the palace.
• He placed himself in the center of their world, as
the sun, hence the Sun King, and the nobles were
surrounding him like planets.
• He rewarded his nobles loyalty with wine & women.
300 Waiting Willing Women.
• Louis XIV suffered none of the difficulties of his
father.
• He had many lovers and had many illegitimate
children but to bring about peace between France
& Spain he married Marie Therese of Austria.

10. Louis XIV - 1643-1715
• This center was in fact royal bedroom
at Versailles.
• The Members of aristocracy had
rooms surrounding the Kings
bedroom. The closer your room, the
more important you were.
• The greatest honor was to be present
when the king woke up and went to
bed.
• If you were allowed to assist or even
be present at these daily ceremonies
you had a very good positions at
court.
• Understanding historically the world
in which these kings lived helps you to
understand their style.

11. Louis XIII – 1589 1661
• During the reign of Louis XIII furniture became
comfortable for the first time
• Louis XIII lived 1601-1643 but this period is 1589-1661
• This style began under Henry IV’s patronization of
crafts. The economic situation is reflected in the sober
style - Geometric in appearance and austere in
conception
• Woods used were oak, walnut, pear wood and pine.
Louis XIII furniture featured veneer, turned wood and
moldings.
• The typical Louis XIII chair was short in the back and
square in shape and covered with finely worked
leather or tapestry which would be fastened to the
chair with large brass nails.
• Typical pieces include tall cupboards, full dressers,
and tables with a varying number of legs.

12. Louis XIV - 1643-1715
• This monarch more than any other understood the power
of the decorative arts.
• Remember he was responsible for the court’s move to
Versailles transforming it from a simple hunting lodge into
the most magnificent palace in the country
• This period closed the age of multiple-use pieces and
ushered in an era of individualized, use-specific furniture.
• His style is characterized by bold details, heavy
ornamentation and large scale with symmetrical form.
Principal motifs included lions heads, griffins, musical
instruments, leaves & dolphins.
• Characterized by ebony woods, tortoise shell inlay and
brass detailing. In addition to Bouille’s grand pieces more
pedestrian pieces were perfected in oak, walnut and
chestnut
• The commode became very fashionable, as well as console
tables, writing tables and desks. Arm chairs or upholstered
wing chairs will have stretchers between their legs & beds
from this period were heavily draped.

13. Louis XV- 1643-1715
• When examining the difference between
the style of Louis XV and that of his great-
grandfather Louis XIV, into whose royal
court he was born, I can’t help but ponder
what Freud would say about Little Louis’
backlash against grand-père.
• While Louis XIV furniture is masculine,
heavy and solid, Junior’s décor is feminine
with curved lines characterized by delicate
pieces and cabriole legs.
• While Louis XIV was all about symmetry,
Louis The Beloved embraced asymmetrical
detail, lavishing his period with floral
motifs, ribbons and shells.
• The use of shell motif is significant.
• Timothy Corrigan calls this “Undoubtedly
the greatest of all periods for French
furniture”.
• Grand suites were replaced by smaller
more intimate rooms and were furnished
with unfailing attentiveness to elegance,
refinement, comfort and well being.

14. • If you learn nothing else today in this talk remember this….From the shell motif comes
the term used to refer to the style of his period—Rococo
• Rococo is derived from the French word shell combining it with the word stone. Rocaille
(stone) + coquille (shell) = Rococo.
Louis XV- 1643-1715

15. Louis XV- 1643-1715
• The most influential woman at Louis XV’s court was
Madame de Pompadour.
• She was his chief mistress for 20 years – a friend as
well as a political advisor. And she was a commoner.
• Pompadour was such a taste maker that there were
even colors (as well as hairstyles) named after her –
Pompadour pink and Pompadour blue!
• She also influenced design… Anytime, you see caning
you can date the chair as after Louis XIV.
Also note that the chairs all have the
cabriole leg – another sign that they
belong in the Louis XV classification.

16. • During Louis XV time France was living la dolce vita.
• Peace and prosperity were the mots du jour and
Louis’ love for fine décor trickled down to the rising
middle class.
• New furniture forms were in demand—with an
emphasis on comfort and elegance. By the end of
the period, La Republic bulged with bergères,
chaises longues, and duchesses brisées as well as
bombé-shaped commodes, matching consoles and
elaborate gilt mirrors.
• The seeming prosperity of the Louis XV era folded
under his ill-advised financial policies, bankrupting
the nation and leading to the demise of the French
monarchy.
Louis XV- 1643-1715
• While Louis The Beloved became the most unpopular king in French history, darn it, he
had good taste. Today his style is what “les Américains” refer to as “French Country
Style.”

17. • We have Louis XII with the stretcher between
the legs – It was often shorter in back and
square in shape, covered in leather or tapestry
fastened to the chair with large brass nails.
• During the era of Louis XIV there was a
breakthrough in chair construction, with the
back becoming higher and the seat becoming
larger to accommodate the more ample space
required by the fashions of his day. The arms
and legs of the chair are usually heavily carved.
These are big chairs made for large rooms!
• The easiest difference to a Louis XV chair is in
the legs - The Louis XV chair always has that
curved cabriole leg.
• Louis XVI is what’s known as Neoclassical Style
and Louis XVI chair always has that fluted leg!
Let’s Review!

18. Louis XVI - 1774 - 1792
• Louis XVI was King of France from 1774
until 1792 before being executed during
the French Revolution
• He was married to Marie Antoinette.
• Louis XVI did not stand a chance.
• 15 years after granddad Louis 15th’s death,
the Revolution erupted and Louis le Dernier
inherited a world of hurt.
• Again we see a revolt against the style of his
predecessor; this time the new décor was
defined by the most important discoveries
of the time: the ruins of Pompeii.
• Neo Classical décor was all the rage.
• Although Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI
were ultimately guillotined during French
Revolution, the neoclassical style had a
lasting power and continues through
Napoleon’s era.

19. • Symmetry and straight legs were back.
• Musical instruments found their way into
motifs, showing up on lyre-backed chairs.
• Classical architectural elements like
columns and pediments were reinvented
into design along with the use of beading,
rosettes and trophies.
• The ribbon motif from Louis XV décor
lingered, tying graceful bows alongside the
backs of sofas and chairs.
• Gone was the bombé, replaced with semi-
circular commodes and side tables.
Louis XVI – 1774 to 1792

20. • And while this is serious style—
keeping with the mood of Liberté
Egalité Fraternité, a topic of
conversation that originated
among the aristocracy and got
“out of hand” when embraced by
the lower classes—this style was
also one that lingered into that of
its predecessor.
• Bonaparte sobered the style,
removing ornamentations in an
attempt to hide the Ancien
Régime, but the essential style of
Directoire furniture remains
steadfastly the same as that of the
executed king.
Louis XVI – 1774 to 1792
Long Live
The King!

21. Follow The Antiques Diva®
Web: www.antiquesdiva.com
Email: toma@antiquesdiva.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheAntiquesDiva&Co
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