Description
19th Century French Louis XV-style carved walnut console table with a marble top. The furniture of the Louis XV period is characterized by curved forms, asymmetry, and an overall lightness. Many pieces utilize decorative details to create stunning imagery based on the influences of the Ancient Greeks. These pieces were often designed for the smaller, more intimate salons created by Louis XV for the Palace of Versailles. Console tables were popular pieces that were designed to be placed against a wall, often in front of a mirror. They were the most lavishly decorated pieces of furniture of the period. This particular console table has a lovely white-beige marble top set on a foliate carved apron with faces of Dionysus on the corners. The marble top has subtle veining that blends seamlessly into the overall coloring and compliments the rich brown walnut body. Walnut is a rare wood that is very strong and can be intricately carved. This is seen in the ornately carved apron and corners. The apron has splendid carvings of a wreath with acanthus leaves, foliage, and flowers. Acanthus leaves were often utilized in this period and symbolized immortality and resurrection. The combination of motifs creates a luxurious scene nicely juxtaposing the simplicity and elegance of the marble above. Meanwhile, each corner features the face of Dionysus, the Greek God of wine and pleasure, later considered a patron of the arts. He was depicted as having a dual nature, bringing joy and divine ecstasy while also having a brutal and blinding rage. The apron mimics his power since he was seen and represented as being around the harvest, berries, and flowers. These faces are on C-scroll carved cabriole legs, ending on acanthus-carved scrolled toes. Each leg is joined by a scrolled x-form stretcher centered by an acorn. Acorns also were an important ornamentation seen in French furniture, representing prosperity, abundance, and growth. It would look the best in a hallway, office, or even dining area.
H=30 in. W=60 in. D=24 in. 105 lbs.
