Editing Neoclassicism (section)

==== Louis XVI style (1760–1789) ====
{{Main|Louis XVI style}}
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
École Militaire Paris Pavillon central depuis la cour d'honneur.jpg|Central pavilion of the [[École militaire]], Paris, 1752, by [[Ange-Jacques Gabriel]]{{sfn|de Martin|1925|p=11}}

Pantheon 1, Paris May 11, 2013.jpg|[[Panthéon]], Paris, by [[Jacques-Germain Soufflot]] and [[Jean-Baptiste Rondelet]], 1758–1790{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=276}}

L'Hôtel de la Marine (Paris) (51346237676).jpg|[[Hôtel de la Marine]], Paris, by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, 1761-1770{{sfn|de Martin|1925|p=13}}

West facade of Petit Trianon 002.JPG|Façade of the [[Petit Trianon]], Versailles, France, by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, 1764{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=273}}

The Petit Trianon (23935245609).jpg|Staircase of the Petit Trianon, by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, 1764{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=273}}

Salon de Compagnie - Petit Trianon (23935437909).jpg|Interior of the Petit Trianon, by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, 1764{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=273}}

Commode de la comtesse du Barry (Louvre, OA 11293).jpg|Commode of [[Madame du Barry]]; by [[Martin Carlin]] (attribution); 1772; oak base veneered with pearwood, rosewood and [[amaranth]], soft-paste [[Sèvres porcelain]], bronze gilt, white marble; 87 x 119&nbsp;cm; [[Louvre]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jacquemart|first1=Albert|title=Decorative Art|date=2012|publisher=Parkstone|isbn=978-1-84484-899-7|page=65|url=|language=en}}</ref>

Hôtel du Châtelet JP2011 façade cour.jpg|[[Hôtel du Châtelet]], Paris, unknown architect, 1776<ref>{{cite book|last1=Larbodière|first1=Jean-Marc|title=L'Architecture de Paris des Origins à Aujourd'hui|date=2015|publisher=Massin|isbn=978-2-7072-0915-3|page=105|url=|language=fr}}</ref>

Bordeaux Grand Théâtre R03.jpg|Stairway of the [[Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux|Grand Theater of Bordeaux]], Bordeaux, France, by [[Victor Louis]], 1777-1780{{sfn|de Martin|1925|p=17}}

Jean-henri riesener, angoliera, 1785 ca.jpg|Parisian corner cabinet; by [[Jean Henri Riesener]]; 1780–1790; oak, mahogany, marble, and ormolu mounts; 94.3 × 81.3 × 55.9&nbsp;cm; [[Art Institute of Chicago]], US<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.artic.edu/artworks/96539/corner-cabinet |title=Corner Cabinet - The Art Institute of Chicago}}</ref>

Grand vase à fond beau bleu (Louvre, OA 6627) 2 (cropped and fixed angles).jpg|Large vase; 1783; hard porcelain and [[ormolu|gilt bronze]]; height: 2 m, diameter: 0.90 m; Louvre

Cabinet dore Marie-Antoinette Versailles.jpg|Cabinet Doré of [[Marie Antoinette]] at the [[Palace of Versailles]], Versailles, France, by the Rousseau brothers, 1783{{sfn|de Martin|1925|p=61}}

Secrétaire à cylindre de Marie-Antoinette (Louvre, OA 5226).jpg|Roll-top desk of Marie-Antoinette; by [[Jean-Henri Riesener]]; 1784; oak and pine frame, [[sycamore]], amaranth and rosewood veneer, bronze gilt; 103.6 x 113.4&nbsp;cm; Louvre<ref name="Decorative Art">{{cite book|last1=Jacquemart|first1=Albert|title=Decorative Art|date=2012|publisher=Parkstone|isbn=978-1-84484-899-7|page=61|url=|language=en}}</ref>

Table à écrire à pupitre de Marie-Antoinette (Louvre, OA 5509).jpg|Writing table of Marie Antoinette; by [[Adam Weisweiler]]; 1784; oak, ebony and sycamore veneer, Japanese lacquer, steel, bronze gilt; 73.7 x 81. 2&nbsp;cm; Louvre<ref name="Decorative Art"/>

Ewer MET DT236853.jpg|Ewer; 1784–1785; silver; height: 32.9&nbsp;cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art

Folding stool (pliant) (one of a pair) MET DP113122.jpg|Folding stool (pliant); 1786; carved and painted beechwood, covered in pink silk; 46.4 × 68.6 × 51.4&nbsp;cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pair of vases MET DP168509.jpg|Pair of vases; 1789; hard-paste porcelain, gilt bronze, marble; height (each): 23&nbsp;cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art

Armchair (fauteuil) from Louis XVI's Salon des Jeux at Saint Cloud MET DP113960.jpg|Armchair (fauteuil) from Louis XVI's Salon des Jeux at [[Château de Saint-Cloud|Saint-Cloud]]; 1788; carved and gilded walnut, gold brocaded silk (not original); overall: 100 × 74.9 × 65.1&nbsp;cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art
</gallery>

It marks the transition from [[Rococo]] to Classicism. Unlike the [[Louis XIV style|Classicism of Louis XIV]], which transformed ornaments into symbols, Louis XVI style represents them as realistic and natural as possible, i.e. laurel branches really are laurel branches, roses the same, and so on. One of the main decorative principles is symmetry. In interiors, the colours used are very bright, including white, light grey, bright blue, pink, yellow, very light lilac, and gold. Excesses of ornamentation are avoided.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Graur|first1=Neaga|title=Stiluri în arta decorativă|date=1970|publisher=Cerces|pages=200, 201 & 202|language=ro}}</ref> The return to antiquity is synonymous with above all with a return to the straight lines: strict verticals and horizontals were the order of the day. Serpentine ones were no longer tolerated, save for the occasional half circle or oval. Interior decor also honored this taste for rigor, with the result that flat surfaces and right angles returned to fashion. Ornament was used to mediate this severity, but it never interfered with basic lines and always was disposed symmetrically around a central axis. Even so, ''ébénistes'' often canted fore-angles to avoid excessive rigidity.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sylvie|first1=Chadenet|title=French Furniture • From Louis XIII to Art Deco|date=2001|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|page=71|language=en}}</ref>

The decorative motifs of Louis XVI style were inspired by [[Ancient history|antiquity]], the Louis XIV style, and nature. Characteristic elements of the style: a torch crossed with a sheath with arrows, imbricated disks, [[guilloché]], double bow-knots, smoking braziers, linear repetitions of small motifs ([[Rosette (design)|rosettes]], beads, oves), [[Trophy of arms|trophy]] or floral medallions hanging from a knotted ribbon, [[acanthus (ornament)|acanthus]] leaves, [[gadrooning]], interlace, [[meander (art)|meanders]], [[cornucopia]]s, [[mascaron (architecture)|mascarons]], Ancient urns, tripods, perfume burners, dolphins, ram and lion heads, [[Chimera (mythology)|chimeras]], and [[gryphon]]s. Greco-Roman architectural motifs are also heavily used: [[Fluting (architecture)|flutings]], [[pilaster]]s (fluted and unfluted), fluted balusters (twisted and straight), [[column]]s ([[engaged column|engaged]] and unengaged, sometimes replaced by [[caryatid|caryathids]]), [[volute]] [[corbel]]s, [[triglyph]]s with [[gutta]]e (in [[relief]] and [[trompe-l'œil]]).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sylvie|first1=Chadenet|title=French Furniture • From Louis XIII to Art Deco|date=2001|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|page=72|language=en}}</ref>