The Transition commode reflects a movement that freed itself from the exuberance of the Louis XV style to adopt a more classical and rectilinear inspiration, foreshadowing the Louis XVI style. Profoundly influenced by the archaeological discoveries of Herculaneum and Pompeii, artists wished to definitively abandon the sinuous curves of the rococo aesthetic in favour of more refinement and sobriety.
Rigour and symmetry would hereafter impose a more pared-down style. Influenced by ancient architecture, Transition furniture brought straighter shapes back to contemporary tastes. The hallmark commode design of the Transition period is unquestionably the commode called "à ressaut", of rectangular shape with two or three drawers sometimes concealed within swing doors; its legs are still arched in the Louis XV style. Produced in veneered wood decorated with floral marquetry and trophies, with attributsor geometric features, it may also be topped with lacquer or porcelain plaques.
