Rococo Furniture
As is true of many styles, one which follows tends to be a reaction to its former contender. The Rococo, a style which is noted for its asymmetrical and organic 'C' and 'S' shaped scrolls, provided a new sense of freedom for designers compared to the formal designs of the Palladian revival. It interpreted the French 'rocaille', a shell like form with a new freedom for the carver. The style first appeared in England shortly after 1730 when English Goldsmiths, predominantly of Hugenot decent, began to incorporate leafy scrolls and flowers into bowls and salvers. Ornamental decoration on cabinets such as brass and silver plated locks and handles soon began to follow suit, utilizing the new serpentine free flowing form, which was described as 'a line of beauty and grace' by William Hogarth when he published his Analysis of Beauty in 1753. A number of pattern books and furniture designs published between 1741 and 1746 soon provided a model for workshop practice and imitation, one example being Matthias Lock's publication of a series of designs for mirrors in 1744. This printed catalogue also provided models of birds, winged dragons, cascades of water and dolphins. Despite the style's obvious influence from France, it remained disciplined, with an underlying structure of proportion and symmetry.
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