The Art of Painted Furniture

By Cynthia and Jean-Marc Fray

A Gift for a King

Although the origins of painted furniture can be traced as far back as ancient Egyptian sarcophagi, one might suggest that widespread presence and popularity of painted furniture in Europe really originated in France in the 17th century, under the reign of Louis XlV. During this time, Les Compagnies des Indes Orientales (the French, Dutch, and English fleets created for developing trade between Asia and Europe) were importing the first lacquered pieces, or "lacquerware," from China and Japan. In fact, a small red lacquered Japanese table, given to King Louis XIV by the Ambassador of Siam in 1692, created such a frenzy throughout the courts of Europe that it became a veritable catalyst for a new trend in the decorative arts: the art of painted furniture.

French Chinoiserie

By the middle of the 18th century, European craftsmen were well aware of the techniques and materials used in Far Eastern lacquerware. In France, the Martin brothers (from the Martin dynasty of cabinet makers) perfected a varnish or vernis that looked identical to Japanese lacquerware; they were promptly appointed official vernisseurs for the King. These varnished pieces, fabricated à la facon du Japon or "japanned," were crafted for royalty, painted mostly black or sometimes blue (exceptional pieces only) and decorated with Chinese figures, animals, and flowers-common decorative themes found on Asian imports. This chinoiserie was often raised and gilded with gold leaf or gold paint.


18th-Century Venetian Knock-Offs to Neoclassical Designs

Meanwhile, in Venice, where painted furniture was enjoying tremendous success, and where the demand for such pieces far outweighed the supply, a less time-consuming technique for decorating with paint and varnish was developed: la lacca contraffata or lacca povera ("counterfeit" or "poor" varnish). Colored engravings were cut out and glued to pieces previously prepped with gesso or a combination of thin canvas and gesso, and were then hand-painted. Then the pieces were thickly varnished so the decoupages looked like they had actually been hand-painted directly on the wood's surface. The Venetians had a fondness for pastels and most of their painted pieces crafted during this time were painted and decorated in soft pastel tones. In the mid-18th century, as the trend for neoclassic designs gained momentum, painted furniture took on a classic look with Roman and Greek motifs replacing much of the chinoiserie seen before.

In Spain and Portugal, after a lengthy Moorish period that had endured since the 15th century, cabinetmakers and craftsmen began to follow the trend set by their French and Italian neighbors. Many pieces were painted red and gold. Catalonian beds were rich with religious and pastoral motifs. In England, the "japanned" pieces under Charles II were a hit among aristocrats despite high price tags. Thomas Chippendale and the Adams brothers, after extended visits to Italy, began decorating the interiors of many notable manoirs across England in neoclassical style, making prolific use of hand-painted pieces.



Painted Furniture as Popular Art

By the late 18th century, big city trends had made their way into the provinces. Prominent, wealthy countrymen had developed a taste for bourgeois interior furnishings and started imitating their noble contemporaries with painted pieces crafted by local cabinetmakers, costing a fraction the price. Suddenly, it was everywhere, and everyone was painting furniture. All across Europe, it became quite apparent that art of painting furniture had reached the masses by penetrating the vast world of "popular art."

Painted furniture, as works of popular art, had multiple purposes. Initially it was an endeavor to imitate the higher classes of society, but also an artistic attempt to hide a poorer (and less expensive) quality of wood, in addition to being a playful way of lightening the mood of a home. Some cabinetmakers preferred painted pieces simply because they could imitate sculptures and decorative moldings with paint, without taking on the detestable and time-consuming task of hand carving in ordinary wood.



Decorating with Painted Furniture

Furniture was painted all over Europe and Scandinavia well into the 19th century. This art was sometimes passed onto other objects such as breadbaskets and wedding trunks. Each region had its own traditions, its color preferences and representations derived from religious and medieval imagery. Floral bouquets and fruit were often symbolic choices; architectural themes were derived from Italian marquetry. Other allegoric motifs were used to represent important life events or religious beliefs. Today, one of the strongest decorating trends, and perhaps a very durable one is the use of "tone-on-tone" color schemes to create a certain ambiance, using different shades and textures within a given color. Introducing antiques with pigmented finishes or painted ones is often essential in accentuating an underlying color scheme. These antiques will give depth and texture to a home's decor. They will gracefully balance the use of painted natural woods, while providing artistic interest, and they will catch the eye in a delightful way without overpowering the overall scheme.