54 
House & Garden 
The style of Louis XVI (1774- 
1793) shows a departure from 
the styles of the preceding Louis. 
The chair legs are uniformly 
straight and round. The orna¬ 
mentation is classical and yet 
delicate and the construction, 
while never lacking in grace, is 
heavier than that of Sheraton, 
who combined the delicacy of the 
Adam designs with the contour 
of Louis XVI 
This page of period chair legs, 
together with a similar one in the 
January issue, comprises a con¬ 
densed guide to judging the 
period of chairs. In that num¬ 
ber some five English periods — 
Sheraton, William and Mary, 
Queen Anne and early Georgian, 
Chippendale, Jacobean and Caro- 
lean. Here we have Adam, Hep- 
plewhite, the three Louis and the 
Empire 
THE CHAIR LEGS of SIX 
PERIODS 
In the row above the four 
to the left are Adam de¬ 
signs (1762-1795). First a 
square leg with block foot 
and flower relief; then • a 
fluted column round leg 
of delicate construction; 
next a square tapered leg 
with spade foot, showing 
use of the Saltrine stretch¬ 
ers, and finally a fluted col¬ 
umn with simple turnings 
at the foot and classical 
leaf carving above 
The Hepplewhite style 
dates from 1765 to 1795. 
The first two illustrations 
above on the right are inlaid 
and carved legs for sofa-or 
settee ends, showing Adam 
influence. The chair next 
is a square leg with block 
foot showing Adam origin. 
The next is a more usual 
design and the last is dis¬ 
tinctively Hepplewhite — 
veneer and outline mold¬ 
ings and decoration 
The group in the center 
above are Empire legs, 
dating from 1793 to 1830. 
The first on the left is 
English Empire, heavy in 
front and the back legs 
being rather graceful. The 
next is French Empire; a 
rather unhappy translation 
of Louis XVI. The other 
two are American Empire. 
They were either curved 
or straight and turned, 
without ornamentation 
Louis XIV and XV are 
represented in this group. 
At the left, a Louis XIV 
cabriole leg with cloven 
hoof, carved decorations 
and molded flat stretcher; 
an early Louis XIV, square 
with carved ornaments; a 
Louis XV cabriole show¬ 
ing the Rococo manner; 
and a well-proportioned 
cabriole leg typical as the 
base of the best work of 
the Louis XIV and XV 
