Topics: 17th Century
4: Elizabethan & Jacobean Furniture
A comparison of Elizabethan and Jacobean furniture in terms of its construction, decoration and range.
5: On Cupboards and In Drawers: When is Cupboard Not a Cupboard?
An explanation of the development of cupboards and chests of drawers in terms of their use, social significance, and their construction and decoration from mediaeval times to the 18th Century.
6: From Joinery to Cabinet-Making
The development of joinery as a method for constructing furniture from medieval times to the end of the 17th century and its comparison with that of cabinet-making.
7: From Veneering to Marquetry
The history, techniques and uses of veneering, inlay, parquetry and marquetry in decorating furniture between the period 1675 – 1730.
8: The Age of Walnut 1660-1740
An analysis of the style and construction of fashionable walnut furniture in the post restoration period.
9: Splendiferous Furniture of the Late 17th Century
An appraisal of the courtly ceremonial splendour and function of furniture of the post-Restoration period, with reference not just to its design, construction and decoration but also to its fabulously expensive upholstery.
10: Vernacular Furniture 1600-1800
A look into the lives of ordinary people through their ordinary, everyday furniture.
12: From Rome to Kent – The Baroque Style in English Furniture
This lecture combines looking at furniture with looking at the interiors for which it was designed as it follows the Baroque style from Rome to England.
A study of Chinoiserie furniture and furnishings of in particular the 18th century with a view to assessing whether it was to be taken seriously or regarded as a caricature.
26: And So To Bed… (Pepys, 20 April 1660)
The significance and use of beds from the medieval period through to the 18th century both in terms of their association with the highest level of society and an explanation of why Shakespeare left hiw wife Anne “..my second best bed”! as expressed through the great “State Beds” and also the history of their construction,
27: Are You Sitting Comfortably?
The lecture traces the development of the chair in terms of its construction and style from ancient times through to the 19th century and will hopefully surprise attendees with just how much there is to reveal about such a common item of furniture.
29: The Golden Age of English and Dutch Furniture (Specially prepared for The Hague DFAS)
The art of Dutch furniture making and decoration climaxed in the late 17th century and, not least because of the close political and commercial connections between the two countries at the time, greatly influenced that made in England.
30: The Golden Age of European Cabinet-Making (Specially prepared for Brussels DFAS)
English cabinet making reached a near-unrivalled degree of excellence by the mid 18th Century largely thanks to the influence of new styles and methods of construction and decoration from the Netherlands, France and Belgium.
31: The Golden Age of English and European Furniture
This golden age encompasses the work of great designers and cabinetmakers like Kent, Vile, Cobb, and, of course, Chippendale and sees the elevation of furniture to Art in both England & Europe.
Janusz Speaking 