E-24: French Salon of the Louis XVI Period, c. 1780 c. 1937

Narcissa Niblack Thorne created this miniature French Salon of the Louis XVI Period around 1780 with incredible detail, now residing here at the Art Institute of Chicago. The composition is meticulously structured; the eye is drawn into the room by the symmetrical arrangement of windows and panels, all adorned with delicate gold trim. This symmetry evokes the formal elegance associated with the era, emphasizing balance and order. The pastel green walls provide a muted backdrop, allowing the gilded details and rich mahogany furniture to stand out in sharp contrast. Notice how Thorne uses scale, manipulating our perception through the reduction of architectural space and furnishings. This challenges our sense of proportion and invites us to view the familiar from an unusual perspective. Thorne plays with spatial illusion, constructing a world that is both realistic and miniaturized. The artwork functions as a tableau, capturing not just the aesthetic but also the philosophical underpinnings of 18th-century French society.