Rococo Console Table

Chicago Art Institute

c. 1735

France

Attributed to Francois Roumier

(Active 1701-48)

Wood, Oak, Gesso, and Gilding

Gift of Philip K. Wrigley Through the Antiquarian Society

The symmetric design of this table, which was meant to be attached to a wall, places it in the early phase of the Rococo style known as Re'gence, or French Regency. Named for Philippe II, duc d'Orle'ans, who served as regent to Louis XV for eight years, the style marked a transition from courtly Baroque formality and grandeur to a more sophisticated, frivolous, and intimate sensibility. By the time Louis XV took power, however, the style had evolved into the full-blown asymmetry of the Rococo.

(Wall plaque)

All photographs by me.