The protracted reign of King Louis XIV (he sat on the throne for 72 years!) Is considered the most brilliant in the history of France.
The reign of the "sun king" - this is what the subjects called Louis XIV because he liked to appear at court ballets in the costume of the ancient sun god - this is the heyday of France. The country, worn out by long religious wars and unrest, has finally gained unity. Its military power turned the kingdom into the strongest power in Europe, the culture and art of France were on the rise. The splendor and wealth of the court emphasized the sophistication and beauty of the interior items of the royal residences, primarily Versailles. Art was then dominated by the Baroque style, which appeared in the late Renaissance, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In the art of France, a special "Big Style" of the era of Louis XIV was formed - classicism in its foundation, with only small baroque elements. For court furniture in this style, it was characterized by abundant decoration with carvings, the use of gilding, upholstery of backs and seats with expensive woven materials: jacquard, velvet or tapestry.
This is what an armchair looks like, made by French craftsmen around 1700-1710. It is believed to have been at Versailles and belonged to Louis XIV. The carved monogram on the back of the chair - two intertwined letters L - and the coat of arms lilies (fleur-de-lis - literally "lily flower", or "royal lily") testify to the belonging of this piece of furniture to the property of the French monarch, as well as a miniature crown over the royal monogram medallion. Lilies can also be seen in the carvings that adorn the seat.
The armchair itself is made of walnut wood. Walnut is one of the most expensive raw materials for furniture making. Its wood is well polished and cut, it is dense and viscous, and most importantly, it is resistant to decay processes, destruction by woodworm beetles and insects. The carving adorns the entire surface of the chair and is completely gilded. The back is made of reed ribbons intertwined with each other. They are also richly gilded. The seat and armrests are upholstered in red velvet. The dimensions of the chair are 144.8 x 70.2 x 71.1 centimeters.
After the death of Louis XIV, an inventory was drawn up of his property, which was in the royal chambers of Versailles. There, among other furniture, one of the inventory items mentions "a beautiful reed chair, decorated with the crowned royal monogram." Now it is even difficult to imagine how many owners managed to change this item before in 1917 the American millionaire John Pierpont Morgan Jr. donated the chair that belonged to the French "sun king" as a gift to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. It is there that visitors of the museum can see him now.
Vasily PATRIKEEV