Hunt style antique furniture and accessories are always a popular part of our selection ~ in our online antique store and at both of our Dallas and Baton Rouge antique showrooms. Many ask us: How did this enticing antique style develop? If you can, take the time to read in a recent issue of Beverly Drive Magazine my monthly Antiques in Style article, where I explore the origins and the natural beauty of what has become a timeless antique furniture style that continues to be a favorite of designers, architects and homeowners across the globe.
The subject of the hunt has inspired countless works of art and antiquities. Hunting lodges, houses and even chateaux were built to accommodate the sport. Art always elevates the status of any subject that it encompasses, and hunting has truly been embraced and raised to a level of distinction.
What started out millennia ago, as a necessity ultimately became a pleasure sport, and for many centuries has been gloriously expressed in all art forms such as magnificent paintings, sumptuous tapestries, elegant sculptures and grand antique furniture. In recent history hunting was a status symbol and enjoyed by the gentry and nobilities as a favorite pastime. For an aristocratic gentleman, the ultimate getaway was a spectacular hunt, and a rich European terrain with abundant forests provided a bounty of fauna and fowl for any desired excursions. The surroundings of their country homes often reflected a love for this pastime, and eventually a unique hunt style developed, adding to the ambiance of the retreat and ultimate pleasures of country life. It is important to remember that just because the settings were often rustic, this by no means meant that they sacrificed grace or beauty in the process ~ in fact just the opposite was true, as countless works of art magnified the theme.
The boundless spirit of this sport can be truly felt in this inspiring subject that has attracted many collectors over the years. Many elements of available styles with spellbinding arrays of antique treasures can be incorporated into the hunt theme, giving us incredible choices for any desired application.
In my opinion antique furniture should always be at the forefront of all design installations, and in this case beautiful examples of hunt style furnishings have survived, crafted from the early 18th century throughout the late 19th century. A warm, captivating patina and intricate carvings are two of the foremost elements of antique French and Italian hunt buffets, bookcases, chairs and armoires of this genre. Such furniture has been very popular for hundreds of years, and today demand is strong with many designers desiring to bring focus to this wonderful style. At the same time this theme can give a room a rustic yet refined soul with a certain identity. When you study the detail of exquisitely made pieces such as these appointments, you come to appreciate the fine woodcarving and the artists who created it. Today, as we restore these amazing pieces, bringing them back to their original glory, we have the opportunity to examine this refinement close at hand.
Antique paintings and sculptures captured the art of the hunt with a glorious vivacity, fervor and passion. That is the primary reason why many collectors gravitate to these forms of collections, inspiring them with the exuberance of the sport, and often the captivating compositions of the subjects. The variety is so incredibly vast, ranging from still life to landscapes with hunting parties to renderings of dogs, fauna and fowl. Art creates an invaluable impact in any interior scape by intensifying the effect of a theme with expressive and authentic vigor.
Of course two of my favorite forms of expression with antiques are accessories and lighting, which add an extra layer of a desired effect to any plan. Lighting naturally accentuates the architectural and interior design features, and during the 19th and early 20th century it was always a major part of any room, illuminating the theme even with ardent impact.
As for accessories, they can be considered the icing on the cake, adding textural and finishing touches with an endless artful blend that makes a home feel nicely appointed while still relaxed and comfortable.
I hope this writing will inspire you to create your own hunting-inspired retreat with unexpected one-of-a-kind antiques, enriched by prized collections embodying the true essence of European style.
Antiques in Style: The Art of the Hunt in Beverly Drive Magazine
This grand Louis Philippe eight-door bookcase, called by the French a bibliothèque, was meticulously hand-crafted from solid cherry wood, harvested from old-growth trees that no longer produced fruit. French artisans seasoned the wood for years to ensure its stability to last for generations, then sculpted it into such beautiful specimens as you see before you in this superlative example using time-honored joinery methods handed down from generation to generation, such as the hand-made pegged mortise & tenon joints that remain as tight as the day they were first fashioned. The clean lines of the Louis Philippe style stand out, yet provide no competition for the sheer natural beauty of the aged wood, exuding its refined age with the patina acquired over the course of a century and a half!
