Beautiful Rocaille Console in carved limewood

Height 88 cm / Width 117 cm / Depth 54,5cm

Beautiful console table in lime wood, richly carved, from the Louis XV period. It is resting on two counterbalanced feet joined by a strut. It is most probably a Parisian work with a lot of openwork, and covered with a beautiful Royal Red marble top. The choice of limewood allows a great precision of the sculpture and an extremely fine rendering. Generally, limewood was used to be gilded but this console has no trace of old gilding or stripping. The color was obtained by a blond walnut stain.

The first quality of this elegant console is the harmony of its proportions. The curves are very pronounced, obeying the "Rocaille" fashion of the middle of the 18th century. We are here in the freest Louis XV, with the arrival of the asymmetry which breaks the rules established by the Louis XIV style and followed by the Regency and the beginning of the Louis XV.
The sculpture is nervous, deep and detailed. The ajours are present in the belt, in the front and on the sides, but also on the legs and the spacer. They add to the visual lightness of this carved piece. However, this abundance of curves does not cross the line of French classicism, which marks its clear difference with the late rococo of Central Europe or the baroque forms of southern Italian furniture. Like a chair by Heurtaut or Tilliard, this console is perfectly balanced, respecting a precise balanced architectural design.
As always, one must take the time to look at the details: Above the scrolls, the legs end in small balls that clear the console from the floor. The marble is a Royal Red from Languedoc, rarer and more expensive than the "Rances" that were brought from Flanders. The spacer is richly carved, but it remains at a reasonable height to leave a heart-shaped empty space under the vigorously moving belt.