sed
and the beauties diminished. The fine heavy borders were broken up
into fragmentary forms; all flow and strength were eliminated; and
what remained of the Louis Quatorze style became, under its next
phase, only remarkable for the sparkling prettiness which is inherent
in all French art.

In Italy this very ornate style was distinguished as the
"Sette-cento," and was a chastened imitation or appropriation of the
Spanish Plateresque and the French Louis Quatorze. In Germany it was a
decided heavy copy of both, of which there are splendid examples in
the adornment of the German palaces, royal and episcopal. In England
the Continental taste was faintly reflected during the reign of Queen
Anne and the first Georges; but except in the characteristic
upholstery of the Chippendales, and one or two palaces, such as
Blenheim and Castle Howard, we did not produce much that was original
in the style of that day.

Under Louis XV., Boucher and Watteau, in France, produced designs that
were well suited to tapestries and embroideries. All the heathen gods,
with Cupids, garlands, floating ribbons, crowns, and cyphers were
everywhere carved, gilded, and worked. It was the visible tide of the
frivolity in which poor Marie Antoinette was drowned; though before
the Revolution she had somewhat simplified the forms of decoration,
and straight lines instead of curves, and delicacy rather than
splendour, had superseded, at least at court, the extravagant richness
of palatial furniture.

This was followed by the Revolution; and then came the attempt at
classical severity (so contrary to the French nature) which the
Republic affected.[71] Dress was adorned with embroidered spots and
Etruscan borders, and the ladies wore diadems, and tried to be as like
as possible to the Greek women painted in fictile art. Napoleon
attempted a dress which was supposed to be Roman at his coronation.
Trophies were woven and embroidered, and the "honeysuckle," "key," and
"egg and anchor" patterns were everywhere. With the fall of the Empire
the classical taste collapsed, and the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman
furniture were handed over to hotels and lodging-houses. In most of
the palaces on the Continent an apartment is still to be seen,
furnished in this style. It was the necessary tribute of flattery to
the great conqueror, who in that character inhabited so many of them
for a short time. But there was no sign of the style being taken up
enthusiastically anyw