European decorative arts. Pictures of masterpieces.

European Decorative Arts

The history of decorative arts in Europe plus examples of the finest collections.

European Furniture Styles and Decorative Arts

German: Meissen Porcelain


Phoebus Apollo in the Chariot of the Sun 1772-1774. Commissioned by Catherine the Great. New Orleans Museum of Art	The Americas. New Orleans Museum of Art	The Three Graces. New Orleans Museum of Art

Great Britain


Wedgwood Two handled covered garniture vase "Adam" 1800. New Orleans Museum of Art	Monton's Pottery Monumental covered vase 1880. Pâte-sur-Pâte. Henry Sanders. New Orleans Museum of Art

Josiah Wedgwood 1730-1795: He established a factory in Staffordshire in the 1760's to produce pottery, agateware and unglazed blue and green stoneware decorated with neo-classical white designs.

Glasgow Four: The Glasgow Four met at the Glasgow School of Art in the 1890's. The group included Charles Rennie Mackintosh, his wife, Margaret Macdonald, her sister Frances Macdonald, and her husband, Herbert McNair. Together they produced furniture, designs and metalwork which influenced Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Symbolism.

William Morris 1834-1896: English founder of the Arts and Crafts movement. His firm, founded in 1861, produced furniture, rugs, and wallpapers. "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

European Silver and Glass

Russian: Fabergé and the Russian Jewels

Works by Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920), master jeweler to the Romanov Czars of Russia. His most famous pieces are the Imperial Easter Eggs created for Tsar Alexander III to give to his wife Maria Feodorovna from 1884 to 1916 under his title of "Supplier of the Imperial Court." When Nicolas II became tsar in 1896, he commissioned one for his wife, Alexandra, and one for his mother. In addition to the eggs he created masterpieces both functional and purely decorative in precious stones and metals. New Orleans Museum of Art


First (?) Imperial Easter egg 1885. Gold egg contains enamel chicken holding a crown on a ring.	Imperial Caucasus Easter Egg 1893 Louis XV style features miniatures of Caucasus and "1893" in diamonds.	Imperial Easter egg 1912 containing miniatures of regiments on folding screen.	Inkwell with photograph of Tzarevich Alexis 1899	Imperial seal (chameleon on column) Siberian nephrite


Brooch. Siberian amethyst, diamond, platinum	Imperial frame and clock before 1899. Rose jasper	Cigarette case mauve Guilloché enamel	Magnum inkwell 1895. Sterling and cut rock crystal

Tole

Although Tole is the French term for sheet metal, Tole decorative elements are also associated with English artisans. Tole ware, typically used for lanterns, chandeliers, sconces, bowls, boxes and cachepots, has been made in Europe and England since the late 18th Century. Tole pieces are typically painted black or a rich color such as golden yellow or dark red, then detailed or stenciled with a stylized motif. Tole pieces were popular in the early 19th century - the classically inspired Regency period in France and the Directoire era in France.

History of Wallpaper

Although the Chinese have been using rice paper on their walls for centuries, the earliest record we have of printed paper comes from 17th century France where prints were made with matching continuous patterns. In England, Cole & Son has been hand block printing papers for 200 years and can still match many original prints. Hand block printing offers more intense color, more depth and interesting imperfections. They use hand-carved wooden blocks and cotton rather than wood pulp paper to keep colors from fading or whites from yellowing. Each color is applied separately with a different block and dried. After up to 12 applications, the paper is varnished for protection. It takes about 3 weeks to produce 10 rolls.

In 1778 Louis XVI set the standard roll to be 10 meters or 33' which is still used.

The original flocked wallpaper was made by stamping the paper with glue instead of ink. Wool fibers were then blown on to form the design.

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