Louis XIV, XV, XVI Styles

Louis XIV, XV, XVI Styles, French 17th- and 18th-century styles of architecture and interior design, named after the reigning monarch of the time.

Louis XIV style was a French adaptation of Baroque style, emphasizing formal grandeur and lush ostentation, which existed during the monarch's reign, from 1643 to 1715. The Palace of Versailles, the king's official residence, was the supreme monument to this style, in which all the arts—architecture, sculpture, painting, interior design, and landscape design—were integrated into a unified expression of royal taste. Ornateness through the most minute details; use of silver, gold, and jewels in design; and a high degree of organization are the hallmarks of Versailles.

Louis XV style, or Rococo style—about 1715 to 1774—was on a smaller scale than Louis XIV style and was lighter and more refined. Monumental grandeur gave way to delicate grace in architecture and interior design, with an emphasis on curved lines, arabesques, exquisite ornamentation, and fine detail. The Hôtel Soubise (1738-1739) in Paris, designed by Gabriel-Germain Boffrand, is an example of architecture in the Rococo style.

Louis XVI style, or Neo-Classical style—about 1760 to 1789—was a revival of the tenets of ancient Classical taste. Architects and interior designers adopted more sober, less playful motifs in which straight lines, simple ornamentation, and subdued colouring were the hallmarks. Marie Antoinette's rooms at the Château de Fontainebleau exemplify this style.

See also Architecture; Furniture; Interior Design.