Furnishing the Home of Good Taste | Page 6

they traveled to neighboring countries, they
spread the influence of this great period, and it is most interesting to see
how on the Italian foundation each country built her own distinctive
style.

Like all great movements the Renaissance had its beginning, its
splendid climax, and its decline.

The Development of Decoration in France.
When Caesar came to Gaul he did more than see and conquer; he
absorbed so thoroughly that we have almost no knowledge of how the
Gauls lived, so far as household effects were concerned. The character
which descended from this Gallo-Roman race to the later French nation
was optimistic and beauty-loving, with a strength which has carried it
through many dark days. It might be said to be responsible for the
French sense of proportion and their freedom of judgment which has
enabled them to hold their important place in the history of art and
decoration. They have always assimilated ideas freely but have worked
them over until they bore the stamp of their own individuality, often
gaining greatly in the process.
One of the first authentic pieces of furniture is a bahut or chest dating
from sometime in the twelfth century and belonging to the Church of
Obazine. It shows how furniture followed the lines of architecture, and
also shows that there was no carving used on it. Large spaces were
probably covered with painted canvas, glued on. Later, when panels
became smaller and the furniture designs were modified, moldings, etc.,
began to be used. These bahuts or huches, from which the term
huchiers came (meaning the Corporation of Carpenters), were nothing
more than chests standing on four feet. From all sources of information
on the subject it has been decided that they were probably the chief
pieces of furniture the people had. They served as a seat by day and,
with cushions spread upon them, as a bed by night. They were also
used as tables with large pieces of silver dressé or arranged upon them
in the daytime. From this comes our word "dresser" for the kitchen
shelves. In those days of brigands and wars and sudden death, the
household belongings were as few as possible so that the trouble of
speedy transportation would be small, and everything was packed into
the chests. As the idea of comfort grew a little stronger, the number of
chests grew, and when a traveling party arrived at a stopping-place, out

came the tapestries and hangings and cushions and silver dishes, which
were arranged to make the rooms seem as cheerful as possible. The
germ of the home ideal was there, at least, but it was hard work for the
arras and the "ciel" to keep out the cold and cover the bare walls. When
life became a little more secure and people learned something of the
beauty of proportion, the rooms showed more harmony in regard to the
relation of open spaces and walls, and became a decoration in
themselves, with the tapestries and hangings enhancing their beauty of
line. It was not until some time in the fifteenth century that the habit of
traveling with all one's belongings ceased.
The year 1000 was looked forward to with abject terror, for it was
firmly believed by all that the world was then coming to an end. It cast
a gloom over all the people and paralyzed all ambition. When, however,
the fatal year was safely passed, there was a great religious
thanksgiving and everyone joined in the praise of a merciful God. The
semi-circular arch of the Romanesque style gave way to the pointed
arch of the Gothic, and wonderful cathedrals slowly lifted their
beautiful spires to the sky. The ideal was to build for the glory of God
and not only for the eyes of man, so that exquisite carving was lavished
upon all parts of the work. This deeply reverent feeling lasted through
the best period of Gothic architecture, and while household furniture
was at a standstill church furniture became more and more beautiful,
for in the midst of the religious fervor nothing seemed too much to do
for the Church. Slowly it died out, and a secular attitude crept into
decoration. One finds grotesque carvings appearing on the choir stalls
and other parts of churches and cathedrals and the standard of
excellence was lowered.
The chest, table, wooden arm-chair, bed, and bench, were as far as the
imagination had gone in domestic furniture, and although we read of
wonderful tapestries and leather hangings and clothes embroidered in
gold and jewels, there was no comfort in our sense of the word, and
those brave knights and fair ladies had need to be strong to stand the
hardships of life. Glitter and show was the ideal and it was many more
years before the standard of comfort