,the ,mentor1 ,no4 #cj1 ,furniture and  
its ,makers          ,,the ,,mentor     
8,a ,wise and ,faithful ,guide and      
,friend0        ,vol4 #a                
,no4 #cj    ,,furniture ,,and ,,its     
,,makers        ,,charles ,,andr        
,,boulle        ,,daniel ,,marot        
,j4 ,,henri ,,riesener        ,,thomas  
,,chippendale        ,,thomas ,,sheraton
        ,,george ,,heppelwhite          
,illustration    ,by ,,professor ,c4 ,r4
 ,,richards ,director of ,cooper ,union1
 ,new ,york4      ,it is rather         
surprising to find how late a           
development furniture is  in the modern 
sense4 ,up to the seventeenth century   
chairs were far  from common4 ,outside  
of the large and heavy armchairs        
reserved for the  head of the family1   
benches1 chests1 and stools were the    
only seats in  all but the wealthiest   
households4 ,before the sixteenth       
century fixed  tables were unusual4     
,dining tables were almost always       
composed of a  set of boards placed upon

 trestles at mealtime4 ,going a little  
further  back to the fourteenth century 
we find furniture1 even in castles of   
the nobility1 of the scantiest and      
simplest4 ,in the sleeping rooms the    
pieces were limited to a bed1 one or two
 chests1 a bench before the  fireplace1 
and seats built into the wall1 commonly 
under the windows4  ,in the hall where  
meals were served the only indispensable
 article  besides the trestle tables and
 benches was a dressoir or buffet for   
the display of plate4 ,all of these     
pieces were exceedingly heavy and       
massive1 and oftentimes built into the  
structure of the room4 ,not  until the  
seventeenth century did furniture become
 lighter1 more easily  movable1 and more
 comfortable4 ,it was at this period    
that chairs began  to be made with      
sloping backs and furnished with        
cushioned seats of  leather or woven    
stuff4    ,illustration3 ,,louis ,,xiv  
,,cabinet    ,,example ,,of ,,boulle    
,every age has impressed its artistic   

standards strongly upon the  furniture  
of the period4 ,long after ,gothic      
cathedral building had  ceased1 the     
cabinetmakers of northern ,europe       
continued to carve their  delicate      
window tracery upon the panels of chests
 and buffets and to  copy the moldings  
of pier and mullion4    ,illustration3  
,,french ,,or ,,flemish ,,cabinet ,,of  
,,the ,,fifteenth ,,century    ,the     
,renaissance brought a great change in  
the surface appearance of  furniture1   
and in ,italy1 ,france1 ,flanders1 and  
,germany the new art  spirit manifested 
itself in different forms1 each of which
 reflected  the peculiar genius of the  
people of the land4    ,but all the     
earlier developments in furniture were  
overshadowed by  the splendid           
achievements of ,french art in the      
latter part of the  seventeenth century4
 ,these began under ,louis ,,xiv1 and   
continued with  undiminished            
productiveness and refinement of design 
through the reigns  of ,louis ,,xv and  

,louis ,,xvi1 to a decline under the    
,empire4      ,,louis ,,xv--,,furniture 
,,of ,,the ,,boudoir    ,the foundation 
by ,colbert1 minister of ,louis ,,xiv1  
of the ,manufactures  ,royales des      
,meubles de la ,couronne1 commonly      
called the ,gobelins1  brought together 
for the production of furniture and     
tapestry for the  royal palaces the most
 talented designers and expert craftsmen
 of the  time4 ,of these ,charles ,andr 
,boulle was the master cabinetmaker4    
,his  name is commonly identified with  
marquetry of tortoise shell and  brass1 
which he carried to a high state of     
perfection2 but he was much  more than a
 craftsman4 ,he developed a furniture   
style that harmonized  perfectly in its 
vigor and magnificence with the splendid
 proportions  of the great royal        
residences4 ,large in scale and massive 
in  construction1 his pieces rely for   
their effect upon bold and striking     
decoration of gilded bronze and         
marquetry4    ,illustration3 ,,an       

,,example ,,of ,,riesener ,,marquetry   
,,style ,,of ,,louis ,,xv    ,boulle's  
pieces accord thoroughly with the years 
of pomp and splendor  of ,le ,grand     
,monarque2 but even before the death of 
,louis a notable  change in the         
appearance of furniture set in4 ,the    
nobility1 whose  resources had been     
severely strained to maintain the       
splendor set by  the king1 found it     
necessary to substitute smaller         
apartments for their  great rooms and   
galleries4 ,moreover1 the heroic quality
 of the earlier  ,louis ,,xiv           
decorations was no longer suited to the 
growing softness  and effeminacy of the 
age4 ,smaller and more delicate         
furnishings were  demanded4 ,the ,louis 
,,xiv chairs had borrowed the high      
upholstered backs1  together with the ,s
 curves for arms and legs1 from the     
,italians--later  on the bold bomb curve
 appeared in the supports of the tables4
  ,by the time of the ,regency these    
outlines had become more slender  and   

refined and the reign of the curved line
 in furniture became  established1--a   
reign that lasted for fully half a      
century1 during  which time some of the 
ablest masters of design that have ever 
lived  played and conjured with curves  
delicate and curves bold1 now bringing  
forth an outline pure and exquisite in  
quality1 and again with amazing         
inventiveness interlacing curve with    
curve in combinations of infinite       
variety and bewildering richness4       
,most ,louis ,,xv furniture develops    
naturally from that of ,louis ,,xiv1 and
  is built upon thoroughly structural   
lines4 ,the reaction1 however1  against 
severity and the increasing demand of a 
frivolous aristocracy  for new and more 
striking effects1 gradually produced a  
style in which  decoration was often not
 subordinated to structure1 but made an 
end in  itself4    ,illustration3       
,,louis ,,xv ,,table    ,the rococo     
7from rocaille1 rock1 and coquille1     
shell7 ran its  extravagant course with 

increasing exaggeration and license     
during the  first half of the reign of  
,louis ,,xv2 but it should not be       
thought of as  affecting all the        
furniture even of this period1 for its  
manifestations  were mainly in the field
 of the carver and bronze worker1 and   
the  outlines of furniture were very    
little influenced1 except in the case   
of the smaller and lighter pieces1 such 
as console tables4 ,about the  middle of
 the reign the limit of artistic license
 had been passed and  a reaction set in4
 ,the ormolu1 which had reached         
excessive size and  had become          
overloaded on the surface1 was withdrawn
 to the edges1 and  made smaller and    
more suitable for the delicate          
proportions of the  pieces4 ,in its     
place marquetry of beautiful colored    
woods1 more or less  practised for over 
a century1 was brought to a perfection  
never before  equaled4    ,illustration3
 ,,louis ,,xv ,,commode      ,,louis    
,,xvi--,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,the     

,,classic    ,the reaction against the  
excesses of the rococo which had set in 
as early as the middle of the eighteenth
 century continued to gain  strength    
during the next two decades1 and to     
carry the design of  furniture farther  
and farther from the fashion of the     
early years of  ,louis ,,xv4            
,illustration3 ,,louis ,,xvi ,,commode  
,the new impulse turned naturally to the
 straight contour4 ,this meant  almost  
inevitably the adoption of classic      
lines4 ,at first the change  showed     
itself in the straightened bodies of    
commodes1 cabinets1 and  writing tables1
 which still retained their curved      
supports4 ,finally the  legs themselves 
were made straight or rather tapering2  
until by the end  of the reign of ,louis
 ,,xv the curved outline had quite      
disappeared and  the style called ,louis
 ,,xvi was fairly launched4             
,illustration3 ,,louis ,,xvi ,,table    
,the ormolu takes new forms4 ,it is     
limited to the edges and to frames  of  

panels1 to friezes1 and to important    
centers1 and follows the  classic       
spirit3 not an outright imitation of    
,roman or ,greek forms1 but  a charming 
,french interpretation of the antique4  
,the designs of the  metal worker had   
never been more delicate1 or his        
execution finer4  ,delicacy and         
appropriateness of ornament1 fineness of
 proportion1 and  sobriety of treatment 
were the ideals of the new              
cabinetmakers4 ,the  art of marquetry   
was still further advanced1 and reached 
perhaps its  culminating expression in  
the fine examples of ,riesener and      
,rntgen4    ,it was during this reign   
that mahogany began to be extensively   
and  almost exclusively used as a       
cabinet wood1 in place of the walnut    
previously employed4 ,where walnut was  
still used1 as in the case of  chairs1  
it was generally gilded or enameled4    
,the chair and the canape  or sofa stand
 out as among the most successful       
achievements of the  ,louis ,,xvi       

designers4 ,simple as to structural     
lines1 their details were  worked out   
with scrupulous care and1 from fluted   
tapering legs to the  carved frames     
inclosing the beautiful tapestry backs1 
they represent  extreme elegance and    
consistency of style4    ,toward the end
 of the reign of ,louis ,,xvi the       
quality of furniture  design            
degenerated4 ,instead of charming       
adaptations and interpretations  of the 
classic spirit1 mechanical imitations of
 ,greek and ,roman forms  appear1 and   
heavy bronze caryatids overweigh and    
distort the outlines  of cabinets and   
tables4 ,dull heaviness takes the place 
of elegance and  the play of fertile    
invention4 ,the decline had begun4      
,illustration3 ,,louis ,,xvi ,,table    
,,empire--,,the ,,imitation ,,of ,,the  
,,classic    ,illustration3 ,,empire    
,,armchairs    ,the new order1 built on 
the overthrow of monarchical society and
 with  no sympathy for delicacy and     
refinement1 desired a setting free from 

the traditions of the past4 ,the        
cabinetmakers1 however1 had only their  
training of the reign of ,louis ,,xvi1  
and this they could not transcend4  ,for
 motives they had only their knowledge1 
or what they considered  knowledge1 of  
the antique4 ,on this they endeavored to
 build a new  style by direct adoption  
of classic forms4 ,in chairs and couches
 they  attempted to reproduce the actual
 shape used by the ,greeks and ,romans4 
,figures of caryatids and sphinxes take 
the place of simpler structural         
supports in tables and stands4          
,ormolu was no longer employed in an    
architectural manner in which one       
decorative detail is set off against    
another in a play of rhythm and         
contrast2 but was applied as single     
figures or small ornamental motives  on 
a plain surface of mahogany4 ,oftentimes
 this ornament has so little  relation  
to the space decorated that it could    
well be omitted without  loss of real   
effectiveness4 ,this enthusiasm for the 

antique passed  through ,egyptian1      
,greek1 and ,roman phases4 ,heavy and   
unimaginative  as most of the ,empire   
pieces seem1 it can at least be said    
that they  are more consistent and      
satisfying than the inharmonious mixture
 that  characterized the furniture of   
the last year of ,louis ,,xvi4 ,many of 
the  ,empire chairs indeed are of real  
dignity and beauty of proportion4 ,in   
some of these ormolu1 introduced for the
 first time in chairs1 was used  in     
combination with polished mahogany2 but 
in most cases the woodwork  was         
sparingly carved with rosettes and      
enameled in white and gold4 ,for  the   
coverings1 silk brocade and appliqu in  
the prevailing colors of  yellow and red
 took the place of tapestry4            
,illustration3 ,,jewel ,,cabinet ,,of   
,,marie ,,louise    ,,late ,,empire     
,illustration3 ,,empire ,,armchair      
,illustration3 ,,empire ,,commode       
,,chippendale--,,the ,,master ,,of      
,,line    ,illustration3 ,,chippendale  

,,piecrust ,,table    ,the ,french      
styles were the result of many designers
 working upon common  lines2 but in     
,england during the last half of the    
eighteenth century  certain noted       
individual cabinetmakers set the        
fashion1 and for a  period of years the 
designs of ,chippendale1 ,heppelwhite1  
and ,sheraton  were each in turn        
recognized as the established vogue4    
,thomas ,chippendale began business in  
,london on his own account about  #agce1
 and evidently rapidly built up a very  
flourishing establishment1  inasmuch as 
the 8,gentleman and ,cabinet-maker's    
,director10 which he  published in      
#aged1 contains a wide variety of       
designs suitable only for  wealthy      
customers4    ,illustration3            
,,chippendale ,,settee--,,fretwork      
,the 8,director0 contains many designs  
that are fantastic1 and many that  are  
difficult and even impossible to        
execute4 ,fortunately ,chippendale's    
fame does not rest upon these designs1  

made to catch the eyes of his  richer   
patrons1 but upon the pieces actually   
made1 and it is refreshing  to see how  
much finer are these latter1 evolved by 
the trained  craftsman1 understanding   
every limitation and every possibility  
of his  material4 ,chippendale's chairs 
represent by far the best expression  of
 his genius4 ,starting with the modified
 ,dutch forms introduced by  ,william   
and ,mary and ,queen ,anne1 in which the
 cabriole leg with  ball and claw feet  
and the flowing curved back with solid  
splat are  the prominent features1 he   
soon developed an individual style      
marked  by great dignity1 strength1 and 
originality4 ,his earliest chairs are   
perhaps the finest4 ,in these the       
cabriole leg is always employed1  and   
the side frames of the back curve       
outward as they run up to more  or less 
pronounced ears at the top4 ,the top    
rail takes more or less of  a cupid bow 
shape1 and the central splat fills in   
the inclosed space4  ,it is in the      

design of these central splats and the  
inclosed framework  that ,chippendale is
 at his best4 ,the almost inexhaustible 
variety of  figure in these pierced and 
interlaced centers1 always in the       
happiest  relation to the framework1    
gives the principal interest to these   
chairs1 and stamps ,chippendale as one  
of the great masters of design4         
,illustration3 ,,chippendale ,,armchair 
,chippendale's styles represent many    
influences4 ,his early work was         
patterned closely upon ,queen ,anne     
models2 but with the 8,director0        
appeared many examples of ,gothic and   
fretted furniture4 ,the ,gothic1        
unsuitable as it was for domestic use1  
obtained little vogue2 but the          
ornamentation of chairs and tables1     
either by open or1 more commonly1       
applied fretwork1 was popular for a     
dozen years or more1 and is             
characteristic of some of ,chippendale's
 most successful if not most  showy     
productions4    ,during this same period

 a rage for things ,chinese possessed   
the popular  taste1 and in many latticed
 chair backs and canopied tops of       
cabinets  the versatile cabinetmaker    
catered to this new interest4           
,besides his chairs1 the name of        
,chippendale is closely associated with 
the charming tripod tables1 generally   
made with tilted top and often  with    
molded or 8piecrust0 border1 with the   
flat card tables so much  used in the   
gaming of the period1 and with the      
all-china cabinets and  bookcases with  
glass fronts1 and oftentimes with a     
characteristic  broken pediment at the  
top4    ,the two other men who          
identified their names with ,english    
styles  worked under the influence of   
the classical revival brought about in  
,england largely by the influence of the
 brothers ,adam4 ,in the case of        
,heppelwhite this influence greatly     
affected but did not absolutely         
determine the style2 for this practical 
cabinetmaker was a man of  independent  

if not original ideas1 and his work     
bears a strong stamp  of individuality4 
,heppelwhite died in #aghf1 and the     
8,cabinet-maker and  ,upholsterer's     
,guide10 published by his widow and     
partners in #aghh1  shows us in the form
 of a trade catalogue much of the spirit
 and  quality of his work4              
,illustration3 ,,chippendale ,,table    
,this table shows strong ,chinese       
influence4      ,,heppelwhite--,,the    
,,exponent ,,of ,,elegance              
,illustration3 ,,heppelwhite ,,corner   
,,cabinet    ,the most characteristic   
designs of ,heppelwhite are his chair   
backs4  ,these are commonly shield or   
oval shaped1 with open center splats1   
in the center of which were often       
introduced the ostrich plumes of  the   
,prince of ,wales4 ,another form of back
 frequently employed by  ,heppelwhite   
was that with slightly curved sides and 
strongly bowed top1  known as the 8camel
 back40    ,the legs of ,heppelwhite's  
chairs are almost always tapering and   

square in sections and end in a spade   
foot4 ,the proportions of these  chairs 
give an effect of extreme elegance and  
refinement4 ,they seem  almost fragile2 
but the material is disposed with such  
skill and the  workmanship is so        
excellent that in reality they are far  
stronger than  might appear4            
,illustration3 ,,examples ,,of          
,,heppelwhite ,,chairs    ,from the time
 of the ,middle ,ages the buffet has    
existed as an important  article of     
furniture2 but to ,heppelwhite is due   
the credit of  perfecting the sideboard 
in its present ,english form4 ,he       
combined the  pedestal cellaret and side
 table of ,robert ,adam in one          
structure1 and  effected a union of     
utility with elegance1 which he executed
 in many  pleasing designs of bow and   
serpentine front4    ,to ,heppelwhite we
 must also give credit for the most     
refined and  tasteful use of inlay and  
of veneers to be found in ,english      
furniture4  ,on the doors of wardrobes  

and on the front of drawers he employed 
veneers of the beautiful curl mahogany  
that came into favor about  #agfj1 and  
on the front of his solid mahogany      
tables1 sideboards1 and  bookcases he   
substituted for carving the inlay of    
low-toned colored  woods in the form of 
lines and narrow bands and other        
ornamental  motives4    ,illustration3  
,,heppelwhite ,,commode                 
,,sheraton--,,the ,,purist    ,the last 
of the three great cabinetmakers        
represents the culmination  of the      
classic spirit derived both from the    
brothers ,adam and the  ,french ,louis  
,,xvi style4 ,sheraton's productions1 or
 rather his designs1  depicted in the   
8,cabinet-maker and ,upholsterer's      
,drawing-,book10 have  little of the    
vigor and strength of ,chippendale's    
work2 but they are  always characterized
 by delicacy and refinement4            
,illustration3 ,,examples ,,of          
,,sheraton ,,chairs    ,sheraton        
designed furniture both in mahogany and 

in satinwood1  decorated by inlay and by
 painting1 and it is with this last     
style1 the  introduction of which was   
largely due to the popularity of the    
gifted  young artist ,anglique          
,kauffmann1 that he is particularly     
identified4  ,his work in mahogany is   
characterized by simplicity of form and 
by the  tasteful use of inlay1 in which 
respect he was perhaps the equal of     
,heppelwhite4    ,his chair backs are   
almost always based upon the straight   
line1 and1  although sometimes made     
petty by the introduction of            
inappropriate  classic ornament1 they   
exhibit on the whole much skill and     
refinement  in composition4 ,in the legs
 of chairs and tables he almost         
invariably  used turned and tapering    
supports1 which were frequently         
decorated by  reeding4 ,in the sides and
 often the backs of his chairs he       
reintroduced  the vogue of canework1    
which had not appeared in fashionable   
furniture  since the seventeenth        

century4    ,sheraton's satinwood       
furniture took the form mainly of       
commodes or  bureaus1 small writing     
desks1 toilet tables1 and other lighter 
articles  for the boudoir4 ,the         
daintiness and elegance of some of these
 pieces  decorated by the brush of      
,anglique ,kauffmann or ,pergolesi      
challenge  comparison with some of the  
exquisite furniture made during the     
reign  of ,louis ,,xvi1 and they mark   
the final culmination of ,english       
furniture  before its degeneration into 
the mediocrity of later times4          
,illustration3 ,,sheraton ,,sideboard   
,,supplementary ,,reading        ,french
 ,furniture                             
,a4 ,saglio      ,a ,history of ,english
 ,furniture                             
,percy ,macquoid      ,french ,furniture
 in the ,eighteenth ,century            
,lady ,dilke      ,colonial ,furniture  
in ,america                  ,luke      
,vincent ,lockwood      ,english        
,furniture of the ,eighteenth ,century  

,herbert ,cescinsky      ,furniture     
,esther ,singleton      ,french and     
,english ,furniture                     
,esther ,singleton      ,the ,furniture 
,designs of ,thomas ,chippendale        
,j4 ,munro ,bell          ,illustration3
 ,,antique ,,chest--,,thirteenth        
,,century          ,,furniture ,,and    
,,its ,,makers    ,old ,furniture       
,,one      ,people have always used     
furniture2 but the kind of furniture we 
use  today is of comparatively recent   
origin4 ,wood1 ivory1 precious stones1  
bronze1 silver1 and gold have been used 
from earliest times in the  construction
 and for the decoration of furniture1   
but modern furniture  is a development  
of little more than four centuries4     
,furniture has always varied in kind and
 style1 according to the needs  and     
customs of its users4 ,there are few    
examples left of really ancient         
furniture4 ,this is due partly to the   
perishable materials used in its        
making1 and partly to the fact that the 

people of olden times had  little       
furniture of any kind4 ,even the poorest
 home of today is better  supplied with 
some household appliances than the most 
aristocratic  house of splendid ,egypt1 
tasteful ,greece1 or luxurious ,rome4   
,and in the long period between the     
destruction of these ancient            
civilizations and the ,renaissance the  
making of furniture developed  very     
little4 ,the rulers of ,egypt were as   
well housed as the early  kings of      
,england4 ,household furnishings were   
the privilege of the  great alone4 ,no  
person of mean degree could or would    
dare to have used  a chair--one of the  
commonest objects in every modern home4 
,active  people1 as they were1 living   
much in the open air1 they needed but   
benches on which to sit at meals1 and   
beds on which to sleep4 ,our  luxuries  
were not only unknown1 but unnecessary  
to them4    ,the ,egyptians used wooden 
furniture1 carved and gilded2 they also 
used  chests in which to keep things4   

,the tables and couches of the          
,assyrians  were inlaid with ivory and  
precious metals4 ,the wood used was     
mostly  cedar and ebony4 ,solomon's bed 
was of cedar of ,lebanon4 ,the furniture
  of ,greece was oriental in form1 and  
from this the ,romans absorbed many     
ideas4 ,the ,roman tables were of       
marbles or rare woods4 ,they used gold  
and silver plentifully1 even cooking    
utensils being made of these  precious  
metals4    ,most medieval furniture of  
,italian make was richly gilded and     
painted4  ,in the north of ,europe      
carved oak was used to a greater extent4
 ,the  feudal halls were furnished with 
benches carved and paneled4 ,chests  of 
oak or ,italian cypress were used as    
receptacles for clothes and  tapestries4
 ,the oak coffer with wrought iron bands
 shown in the picture  is of ,french    
make1 of the latter half of the         
thirteenth century4    ,the ,renaissance
 made a great change in furniture       
making4 ,cabinets and  paneling were    

done in the outlines of palaces and     
temples4 ,in ,florence1  ,rome1 ,venice1
 and ,milan there began on a large scale
 the manufacture  of sumptuous cabinets1
 tables1 chairs1 and chests4 ,spain1    
,france1 and  ,germany soon followed the
 fashion1 and in ,england ,henry ,,viii 
greatly  encouraged the art of furniture
 making4    ,then came the great period 
of furniture1 the eighteenth century4   
,from  being massive and exceedingly    
scarce and costly1 furniture became     
light1 plentiful1 and cheap4            
,,prepared ,,by ,,the ,,editorial       
,,staff ,,of ,,the ,,mentor             
,,association      ,,illustration ,,for 
,,the ,,mentor1 ,,vol4 #a1 ,no4 #cj1    
,,serial ,no4 #cj                       
,illustration3 ,,louis ,,xiv ,,armchair 
,,furniture ,,and ,,its ,,makers        
,boulle and ,marot    ,,two      ,there 
was no limit to the prices a reckless   
and profligate court was  willing to pay
 for luxurious beauty during the        
sumptuous1 extravagant  reign of ,louis 

the ,magnificent of ,france4 ,for much  
that was most  splendid and beautiful in
 furniture making at this period stands 
the  name of ,charles ,andr ,boulle4    
,his imagination and skill were given   
full  play1 and he proved equal to the  
demands made upon him4    ,boulle was a 
remarkable man4 ,in a court whose only  
thought was of  pleasure and display1 he
 realized that his furniture must not   
only  excel all others in richness1     
beauty1 and cost2 it must also be both  
comfortable and useful4 ,he was         
appointed cabinet maker to the ,dauphin1
  the heir to the throne of ,france4    
,this distinction1 together with his    
own tastes1 led him to copy some of the 
manners and bearing of his rich         
customers4    ,he was an aristocrat     
among furniture makers4 ,he spent the   
greater part  of his large fortune in   
filling his workshop with works of art4 
,his  warehouses were packed with       
precious woods and finished and         
unfinished  pieces of magnificent       

furniture4 ,in his own rooms were       
priceless works  of art1 the collection 
of a lifetime--gems1 medals1 drawings1  
and  paintings1 which included          
forty-eight drawings by ,raphael4       
,boulle's ruin came in a single night4  
,when he was seventy-eight years  old   
all his property was destroyed by fire4 
,his loss was not only of  fortune1 but 
of reputation as well2 for when he was  
down and out he  resorted to tricks and 
questionable dealings which brought him 
many  lawsuits4 ,he died in debt and    
poverty1 a discredited and broken man4  
,the ,english court vied with ,france in
 its extravagance1 and heaped  honors   
and wealth on the man who1 like ,boulle1
 in ,france1 was foremost  among        
designers of furniture in that country4 
,the authorities on fine  furniture     
frequently speak of ,marot's work in    
connection with that of  the great      
,boulle4 ,daniel ,marot was the son of  
,jean ,marot1 an architect  and         
engraver4 ,after he went to ,england    

with ,william ,,iii he principally      
concentrated his talent upon the        
adornment of ,hampton ,court ,palace4   
,much of the furniture at ,hampton      
,court bears unmistakable traces of  his
 authorship4 ,at ,windsor ,castle also  
there is a silver table that is         
attributed to him4    ,marot's work     
differs from that of ,boulle in that he 
inserted1 in  medallion form1 pictorial 
subjects in a heavy framework of        
ornament4  ,in other pieces the inlay   
took the form of geometrical1 floral1   
and  animal patterns1 combined with the 
warmer and more beautiful tints of  the 
exotic woods4 ,the whole was marked by  
an unsurpassed degree of  excellence in 
workmanship4    ,besides furniture1     
,marot designed carved chimney pieces1  
panels for  walls1 ceilings1 and wall   
brackets4 ,he was also famous as a      
designer of  gold and silver plate1 and 
he even made tea urns and cream jugs4   
,,prepared ,,by ,,the ,,editorial       
,,staff ,,of ,,the ,,mentor             

,,association      ,,illustration ,,for 
,,the ,,mentor1 ,,vol4 #a1 ,no4 #cj1    
,,serial ,no4 #cj                       
,illustration3 ,,louis ,,xv             
,,sideboard--,,made ,,by ,,riesener     
,,furniture ,,and ,,its ,,makers    ,j4 
,h4 ,riesener    ,,three      ,the early
 years of the life of ,jean ,henri      
,riesener would seem to  indicate that  
he was born under a lucky star4 ,but    
long before his  death1 at the age of   
seventy-one1 in the first decade of the 
nineteenth  century1 his star had set4  
,before the outbreak of the ,french     
,revolution  he commanded enormous      
prices for his work4 ,one small table   
that he  constructed is said to have    
been sold for more than a thousand      
dollars4  ,yet in his old age he was    
only saved from utter ruin by his son1 a
  portrait painter4    ben1 the famous  
and successful furniture maker1 under   
whom ,riesener  served as an apprentice1
 died and left1 besides a young and     
handsome  widow1 one of the largest     

workshops in ,paris and a large fortune4
 ,the  young man promptly married the   
widow1 and upon her death1 six years    
later1 came into possession of both the 
property and the fortune4 ,three  years 
later he married the daughter of a      
citizen of ,paris2 but again  his       
marriage proved of short duration1 for  
after a few stormy years of  wedded life
 he took refuge in the new divorce laws 
of the country1 and  returned again to  
the state of single blessedness4    ben1
 his master1 had been commissioned by   
,king ,louis ,,xv of ,france  to make a 
bureau4 ,king ,louis was called the     
8well beloved10 although  he was really 
hated by the majority of his subjects4  
,this bureau  contributed greatly to    
,riesener's fame2 for its construction  
took three  years1 and1 ben having died 
in the meantime1 his pupil completed it4
    ,the massive bronze doors of this   
royal bureau were ornamented  with      
elaborate and intricately modeled       
figures1 and the whole was  fashioned   

after a complete and perfect miniature  
model4 ,the degree  of craftsmanship    
that was brought to bear upon this      
historical piece  of furniture was of   
such a character that a second bureau1  
built  similarly1 was begun and         
completed by a competitor before the    
original  was finished4    ,riesener    
became a greater artist than his        
teacher1 ben1 and was  recognized as one
 of the leading furniture makers of his 
time4 ,his  great activity is shown by  
the quantity and elaborate detail of the
  furniture he made4    ,at the         
beginning of the ,french ,revolution    
evil days came upon ,riesener4  ,those  
wealthy customers who did not flee and  
escaped the guillotine  were made       
bankrupt4 ,in #agic he held a sale of   
his prized collection of  furniture2 but
 he was forced to buy most of it back   
himself4 ,a little  later he tried again
 to realize some money on the furniture2
 but this  also was a failure4    ,his  
son1 who had joined the army1 returned  

to ,paris and saved the aged  furniture 
maker from starvation4        ,,prepared
 ,,by ,,the ,,editorial ,,staff ,,of    
,,the ,,mentor ,,association            
,,illustration ,,for ,,the ,,mentor1    
,,vol4 #a1 ,no4 #cj1 ,,serial ,no4 #cj  
,illustration3 ,,interior ,,showing     
,,three ,,chippendale ,,chairs          
,,furniture ,,and ,,its ,,makers        
,thomas ,chippendale    ,,four      ,a  
young art student came to a furniture   
shop in ,london and the talk  was of    
beauty of line1 the dignity of          
proportion1 and the introduction  of    
mahogany in the manufacture of          
furniture4 ,the art student afterward   
became ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 the world
 famed painter4 ,the furniture  maker   
was ,thomas ,chippendale1 known as      
8,king of the ,eighteenth ,century      
,furniture ,designers40 ,and to these   
early friendly talks and arguments      
,chippendale attributes his reputation  
as a master of line and a genius  of    
proportion4    ,before the time of      

,chippendale most of the furniture was  
made of the  heavier native woods1 such 
as walnut or oak4 ,mahogany made a      
powerful  appeal to him1 because of its 
highly polished surface and the         
exquisite  beauty of the wood itself2   
for the young cabinet maker who came up 
to  ,london from ,worcestershire had a  
passionate love of beauty and he was  a 
master workman4 ,from his father1 who   
had achieved considerable local  fame1  
he inherited this love1 and he had      
learned how to make the wood  carvings  
that are characteristic of his designs4 
,after a fire he converted four adjacent
 dwelling houses into a shop1  which was
 situated on ,st4 ,martins ,lane1 in the
 fashionable section of  ,london2 and   
because he protested against the amount 
of his taxes it  seems probable he was  
prosperous4 ,moreover1 he belonged to   
the ,society  of ,arts1 with ,gibbon the
 historian1 ,richardson the novelist1   
,dr4  ,johnson the lexicographer1 and   
,horace ,walpole the politician4 ,if you

  add to this that he married in #agdh  
and died in #aggi1 there is summed  up  
practically all there is known of       
,thomas ,chippendale himself4           
,chippendale made beautiful furniture4  
,he was recognized by both the  nobility
 and gentry1 not only as an authority on
 the subject1 but as  an artist4 ,he was
 probably better known as a designer of 
chairs than  of any other form of       
furniture4 ,chippendale was familiar    
with artistic  designs in ,japan1       
,italy1 and ,spain1 and was ready always
 to take ideas  from the humble as well 
as the great1 as is shown from the fact 
that  subscribers to his book1 8,the    
,gentleman and ,cabinet-maker's         
,director10  range from the ,duke of    
,northumberland to a local bricklayer4  
,a large  part of his reputation is     
attributed to this book1 which was not  
so  much a guide to his finished        
productions as an outline of the designs
  he would like to make4 ,and these     
designs have served as a guide to       

furniture makers ever since4            
,,prepared ,,by ,,the ,,editorial       
,,staff ,,of ,,the ,,mentor             
,,association      ,,illustration ,,for 
,,the ,,mentor1 ,,vol4 #a1 ,no4 #cj1    
,,serial ,no4 #cj                       
,illustration3 ,,louis ,,xvi ,,chair1   
,,with ,,beauvais ,,tapestry            
,,furniture ,,and ,,its ,,makers        
,thomas ,sheraton    ,,five      ,at    
forty years of age ,thomas ,sheraton was
 a poverty-pinched journeyman  cabinet  
maker and ,baptist preacher in          
,stockton-on-,tees4 ,then in #agij  he  
went to ,london1 where he found even a  
greater poverty1 but where he  made for 
himself as a designer of furniture a    
name that will last as  long as the     
world loves beautiful things4 ,the      
fifteen remaining years  of his life    
were tragically sad4    ,sheraton's     
knowledge was gained through years of   
hardship and  privation4 ,he lived to   
see his chosen art reach its zenith1 and
 then to  see it fall away4 ,he had     

scarce perfected his creations when they
 were  overwhelmed by a wave of bad     
taste that swept much beauty from       
,english  furniture4    ,when ,sheraton 
reached ,london he hadn't enough money  
to set up shop1  much less to employ    
skilled workmen4 ,so1 instead of making 
furniture1  he wrote about it1 varying  
this occasionally by writing sermons or 
tracts4 ,he made little money1 but many 
enemies1 for he had a bitter  tongue4   
,adam ,black1 afterward the famous      
publisher1 was then a printer's         
apprentice1 and lived for a time in     
,sheraton's humble home4 8,the night  ,i
 arrived10 ,black wrote1 8there were but
 two cups and saucers1 one of  which ,i 
used1 ,sheraton's wife sharing her young
 daughter's porridge  bowl40    ,black  
published ,sheraton's 8,encyclopedia of 
,furniture40 ,this brought  ,sheraton   
some fame1 but little food4 ,the big    
work showed the great  range and variety
 of ,sheraton's art4    ,we love his    
furniture for its finely curved         

surfaces1 graceful sweeps  of sideboards
 and cabinets reflecting the light4     
,aside from its beauty1  ,sheraton's    
furniture was essentially               
practical--sometimes in most  original  
fashion4 ,for example1 he invented a    
summer bed1 divided in the  center so as
 to give a greater circulation of air4  
,there was likewise  a hollow-front     
sideboard that became popular for the   
ease with which  a butler could reach   
across for a stray glass or piece of    
china ware4  ,his 8conversation chair0  
was designed for the beaux of ,georgian 
times1  whose coat-tails were too costly
 to be sat upon4 ,the proper position   
in this chair was for the sitter to face
 the back of the chair1 with  his arm   
resting on the top rail1 so that his    
coat-tails could hang4 ,the  so-called  
8,pouch ,table10 much beloved today by  
neat housewives1 was  ,sheraton's       
invention4 ,it was a work table with a  
pouch of silk on each  side4    ,besides
 his great book1 ,sheraton got up a     

handbook for the benefit of  his brother
 craftsmen1 in which he gave in a       
helpful manner minute  descriptions of  
his various pieces4 ,the spirit that    
prompted him to do  this was the finest 
thing in ,sheraton's nature4 ,he had his
 faults4 ,he  was narrow1 self-centered1
 and bitterly resentful of the success  
of  others1 but he believed it to be a  
man's duty to give to the world the     
benefit of his full knowledge1 and he   
sacrificed himself through life  to do  
this4        ,,prepared ,,by ,,the      
,,editorial ,,staff ,,of ,,the ,,mentor 
,,association      ,,illustration ,,for 
,,the ,,mentor1 ,,vol4 #a1 ,no4 #cj1    
,,serial ,no4 #cj                       
,illustration3 ,,louis ,,xvi ,,cabinet  
,,furniture ,,and ,,its ,,makers        
,george ,heppelwhite    ,,six           
,george ,heppelwhite was one of the     
great names in furniture making4  ,his  
wife published after his death a book1  
8,the ,cabinet ,maker and               
,upholsterer's ,guide1 or ,repository of

 ,design for ,every ,article of         
,household ,furniture in the ,newest and
 ,most ,approved ,taste10 on which  his 
reputation rests4 ,this book went       
through three editions in #aghh1  two   
years after the author's own death4     
,the designs in his book are            
characterized by comfort rather than    
artificiality4 ,with this is combined   
great technical excellence and  extreme 
lightness and durability4 ,curiously1   
however1 these designs are  not all of  
equal value4 ,some are as good as the   
best work of any era1  while others are 
most commonplace4    ,although even at  
that time tea cost five dollars a pound1
 its use  had become very popular       
throughout ,england4 ,heppelwhite       
introduced  many articles that had to do
 with the tea service4 ,many peculiarly 
constructed and choice urn stands1 tea  
trays1 chests1 and caddies are          
attributed to him4    ,heppelwhite's    
furniture had an interesting            
characteristic4 ,the legs  tapered      

delicately on the inside faces only1 and
 were finished with a  square foot4     
,this gave the impression of grit and   
power to otherwise  fragile furniture4  
,there were several stock designs1 or   
ornaments1 of which this furniture      
maker made frequent use4 ,he was        
particularly fond of inserting ovals in 
the backs of his chairs4 ,frequently a  
carved ear of corn was used as  a       
decoration4 ,heppelwhite also made      
abundant use of a ,prince of ,wales     
feather in delicate carving1 combined   
with an inlay of colored woods4  ,this  
use of the royal plume was attributed to
 his loyalty to the ,prince  of ,wales4 
,it was conclusive proof of the         
popularity of the ,prince's  party when 
the illness of ,george ,,iii caused such
 national strife4    ,the fact that     
,heppelwhite was accused by his enemies 
of plagiarism does  not detract a bit   
from his real position4 ,it shows rather
 that1 like  all real artists1 he       
remained a student until the close of   

his career4  ,he never disdained to     
profit by the experience and teachings  
of others1  even those less eminent than
 himself4        ,,prepared ,,by ,,the  
,,editorial ,,staff ,,of ,,the ,,mentor 
,,association      ,,illustration ,,for 
,,the ,,mentor1 ,,vol4 #a1 ,no4 #cj1    
,,serial ,no4 #cj