Distinctive Revival Styles
1840 – 1890
Approximate Timelines...
Overview...
The mid 1800s saw wave after wave of Revival styles as furniture makers turned to past Classical designs for inspiration… but they were also manufacturing for ‘the market’ and their interpretations often only vaguely resembled the pieces from the actual periods. The most common denominator during this era was the Victorian ‘more is more’ philosophy as a stark contrast to the more elegant styles of the 1700s and early 1800s.
The Victorian era was such a long one, lasting from 1830 to 1890, that not one but several distinct furniture styles appeared… each one recreating a classical period of the past, starting with Medieval in the pre 1400s and progressing through Renaissance to Louis XVI in the late 1700s.
These styles overlapped to a great degree… both as to when they were popular and in the design elements that were used… and whilst they were generally all referred to as ‘Revival’ or ‘Victorian’ (without necessarily specifying their specific genre), historical timelines clearly identify several sub-styles, including…
Gothic Revival (Original Period 1150 - 1600)...
These pieces are relatively easy to identify as it’s one of the few styles that includes elements from original architectural structures into the furniture… in particular, Gothic architecture from the mid 1100s to the late 1400s… such as pointed arches, turrets, spiky pilasters (square columns), rosette motifs and quatrefoils (architectural designs of four lobes or leaves resembling a flower or clover leaf).
Although most of these designs were based on original pieces, there was some originality… and a new type of open shelving, known as an étagère, was born in this period, allowing Victorians to have more room to display their treasured collections.
There was nothing modest about Gothic Revival furniture. Tables and chairs were not only massive in size, dominating the room… but also ornate and ostentatious, designed primarily for the nobility and wealthy.
Renaissance Revival (Original period 1450 – 1600)...
Renaissance Revival furniture was often gargantuan with exaggerated ornamentation… ideal for the Victorian ‘more is more’ philosophy.
Dark woods were used, usually mahogany or walnut, with accents in rosewood and ebony… walnut being the preferred wood as was used in the 1500s, and this was probably the most accurate observance of the style to the original Renaissance.
Ornamentation included high relief carving of animals and Classical busts… as well as tassels, scrolls, flowers and fruits. Strapwork was also used, generally on flat panels… strapwork being stylised ribbon-like forms imitating leather straps, parchment or metal, either pierced or interwoven into a variety of geometric patterns.
Other recognisable features included fluted legs with extensively turned profiles, heavily carved finials and crests… and raised or inset panels often with detailed strapwork.
Elizabethan Revival (Original period 1560 – 1620)...
Running almost parallel with Renaissance Revival furniture were rebirths of the Elizabethan era… which historically started during the the latter years of the Renaissance in 1560 and was the first era to have a style named after it, continuing for some sixty years until 1620 when it was overtaken by the Jacobean era.
Revival styles were still harsh but with more detail and exaggeration than the original furniture. Legs were predominantly straight with turnings or fluting and chair backs tended to be high and narrow, but now with a slight back tilt for better comfort… while decoratively painted surfaces and upholstery, especially when combined with needlework, imbued softness and a more feminine touch befitting of the original queen.
Carved flowers, vegetal detail, strapping and oversized bulbous acorns deflected some of the harshness from these pieces but they still conveyed the austerity of the original era.
Rococo Revival (Original period 1710 – 1760)...
Rococo Revival epitomized grandeur and luxury, with the cabriole leg being the most used regardless of the foot style. The use of marble for console and table tops was popular, with the corners shaped to follow the lines of the case… and in some pieces cast iron elements were used, especially if they were cast as scrolls.
Upholstery was prolific, usually bloated and with over-generous proportions… as inner springs had been perfected and comfort was now an important consideration.
The main differences to the original Rococo period were that, in keeping with the Revival trend of larger pieces and increased ornamentation, these recreations were even more exaggerated and audacious, and their carvings were executed in much higher relief than during the original period… which was itself highly decorative and embellished.
Louis XVI Revival (Original period 1450 – 1600)...
In contrast to much of the heavy, curvy furniture during the Victorian era, the one style that flew away with straight lines was the Empire style of Louis XVI… which was part of the Neoclassicism that developed in France during the 1770s as a reaction against the elaborate ornamentation of the preceding Rococo style.
Although it lacks the familiar Victorian lines, the Second Empire style which lasted from 1845 to 1880 was very much a part of the Revival era with its eclectic mix of past and present as well as its unadulterated luxury.
Unlike Gothic, Renaissance and Elizabethan recreations, Louis XVI Revival furniture was not oversized or austere… legs were straight and usually fluted with slight tapers, with the framework delicately adorned with ovals, arches, applied medallions, wreaths, garlands, urns and other Victorian flourishes.
Despite the gilded and limewashed effects in the images below, most furniture of the era was made from expensive woods such as ebony, rosewood and walnut… with even darker woods sometimes being used to contrast the lighter ornamentation.
Summary…
In addition to the main Revival themes described above, there were several minor sub-themes that specifically tried to revive their ancient civilizations, especially the Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles, but these were too niche to attract large adoption.
The unprecedented display of opulence and wealth during the Revival (read Victorian) era was facilitated by the vast array of styles and profiles that could now be produced following the machinery introduced by the Industrial Revolution… and it only ended around 1890 with the rise of the Arts & Crafts movement and the emergence of Art Nouveau and Art Deco furniture.