Whether it was through Washington's friendship with young Lafayette, Franklin's daring mission and lively diplomacy in Paris, or Jefferson's later experience there as Foreign minister, French style greatly influenced the arts and architecture of our new country. The first two articles discuss how French Furniture was bought and collected by the first major figures of American history. We hope you will also enjoy the final article which briefly traces the evolution of style from the Middle Ages to the onset of the Victorian era.
Monticello, inspired by the Hotel de Salm in Paris. Photo: Jack Looney.
Founding Fathers & French Furniture
Thomas Jefferson's shipment of French furniture to the United States, however, was a cargo "as no other American had ever brought back from France," (historian Dumas Malone).
Empire Furniture in the Blue Room. Photo: White House Museum.
The White House & French Decor
George Washington set a trend, purchasing an embassy full of fine French furniture from the departing Minister, the Count of Moustiers, in 1790.
Centuries of style, collage of various pieces. Photo: Myers & Monroe.
Seven Centuries of Style Evolution
The following article presents a brief history of furniture and examines the overarching cultural realities and motivations that manifest in what we see as "style."