Abstract:

This article is devoted to the research of the Chinoiserie style variants in the of Louis XV era furniture. The analysis of the two leading Parisian furniture masters of the mid-18th century works, Bernard II van Risenburgh and Mathieu Criaerd, conducted on the example of the same element of cabinet furniture — the commode. The comparison and analysis of two commodes, exhibited in the same hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reveals the personal style of furniture makers, as well as different approaches and technologies in furniture creation. The result of this research is the conclusion that both approaches represented manifestations of the Chinoiserie style as a cultural dialogue between the two cultures — Western European and Asian.

Keywords: France, Louis XV, Rococo, chinoiserie, commode, furniture history, Bernard II van Risenburgh, Mathieu Criaerd, Metropolitan Museum of Art.