Little Books About Old Furniture. Volume II. the Period of Queen Anne

In the early eighteenth century, English furniture underwent a quiet revolution. The bulbous excess of Jacobean design gave way to something leaner, cleaner, unmistakably Dutch-influenced yet distinctly English: the Queen Anne style. This volume traces that transformation, from the joint reign of William and Mary through the early years of George I, when walnut supplanted oak as the wood of choice and furniture grew taller, more elegant, more designed for living. J. P. Blake introduces the architects and craftsmen who shaped the era, from Sir Christopher Wren's influence on domestic proportions to Grinling Gibbons' sculptural carving that defined a generation of chair backs and chimney pieces. But this is no dry academic exercise. Blake writes for collectors, offering practical guidance on what to look for, what to value, and how to distinguish authentic Queen Anne pieces from later reproductions. Whether you are a serious collector or simply fascinated by the material culture that surrounded ordinary English lives three centuries ago, this book opens a door into an era when furniture became less about display and more about living well.