The Story of English Furniture

Hugh Scully and Arthur Negus go back in time to the medieval and Elizabethan period to explore the emergence of a distinctive English style of furniture, in keeping with the bold buccaneering spirit of the age.

Hugh Scully and Arthur Negus take a closer look at furniture made in the Jacobean and Restoration period. Designs of the era were severe until a Continental influence arrived with the Restoration of Charles II, bringing a more luxurious, elaborate look.

When William and Mary ascended the throne, an influx of Dutch and German craftsmen meant the baroque style was in vogue. This period also saw the decline in popularity of marquetry.