This breathtaking survey of French royal patronage features full-color illustrations of more than 100 objects, many so precious that they rarely leave the Louvre. French decorative arts reached their pinnacle in craftsmanship and design between the reign of Louis XIV and the Revolution, beginning with the sumptuous works of art made at the Gobelins manufactory, which was established to furnish the royal palaces, and continuing with luxury pieces made in specialist workshops across Paris through the end of the ancien régime. This book reveals the story of patronage and collecting among the French kings and queens with some of the greatest works from the collection of the Musee du Louvre, Paris, alongside illuminating essays describing the history and background of these beautiful royal objects. Drawing from the Louvre's extraordinary Departement des Objets d'Art, Royal Treasures from the Louvre examines the full breadth of decorative arts in 17th- and 18th-century France, offering readers a generous view into the splendor of the French court. AUTHOR: Martin Chapman is Curator of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. A prolific writer on the decorative arts, Chapman has lectured widely in England, Europe, and the United States. ILLUSTRATIONS: 120
