De Stijl, My Beating Heart Trivia Quiz

This French Renaissance (Henry II) walnut table with carved sphinx legs, dating from the second half of the 16th century, exemplifies the style of much of the furniture from that time. Furnishings were usually made of dark, heavy hardwoods, often elaborately decorated with inlays of precious materials or carvings of mythological creatures (known as "grottesche" in Italian), as well as plant or animal shapes. Many of the pieces that have survived from that era are large items such as wardrobes or cupboards, whose fronts sometimes reproduce architectural features.

A furniture item strongly associated with the Renaissance was the marriage chest, called cassone ("big chest") in Italian. Wealthy families often commissioned particularly beautiful ones to notable artists of the era - so that the cassone was used more as decoration than a container for linens or other objects. Some impressive painted cassoni can be viewed in the world's major museums.

A term derived from a Spanish or Portuguese word for a pearl of irregular shape, Baroque has become a byword for opulence and elaborate ornamentation. This style flourished in 17th-century Europe, though often with features unique to a given country. In France, massive pieces decorated with sculptures and gilding were characteristic of the first part of Louis XIV's reign. In the last two decades of the 17th century, a more elegant, delicate style surfaced, due in particular to the work of royal cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle and his followers. Boulle was a master of the art of marquetry - a decorative technique in which images are created by applying thin pieces of wood veneer (or materials such as tortoiseshell or mother-of-pearl) to a surface.

The beautiful item in the photo is an example of a "bureau brisé", a small desk with a folding top that can be lifted to reveal a writing surface. Dating from 1685, it was designed by French cabinetmaker Jean Bérain, while the marquetry was executed by Dutch cabinetmaker Alexandre-Jean Oppenordt. Originally made for Louis XIV's Petit Cabinet in the Palace of Versailles, the desk is embellished with royal symbols in tortoiseshell and gilded brass.

Rococo comes from the French word "rocaille", denoting a technique that employed seashells, pebbles and cement to decorate fountains and grottoes in gardens. Often regarded as a development of the Baroque style that dominated the 17th century, Rococo began in 1730s France, during the reign of Louis XV - with which it is often identified - and then spread to other parts of Europe. This highly ornamental style is characterized by an abundance of curves and the presence of elements inspired by nature, with a definite flair for the dramatic. British Rococo, especially as expressed by the work of Thomas Chippendale, was somewhat more restrained.

One of the most significant figure in Rococo furniture design was French cabinetmaker Charles Cressent, who designed the magnificent commode (chest of drawers) in the photo. Initially inspired by Boulle, the cabinetmaker of Louis XIV, Cressent developed his own style, revealing his skill as a sculptor in the unusual shape of his furniture pieces. The commode has a marble top with an undulating edge that follows the line of the front and sides; it is covered in parquetry (wood veneer arranged in a geometric pattern) and lavishly decorated with gilded bronze scrolls and twisting vines.

As its name suggests, Neoclassicism was inspired by Greek and Roman art and architecture. Widely regarded as a reaction against the decorative excesses of Rococo, it flourished in the late 18th century, but reached its zenith in the early years of the 19th century, when Napoleon held sway over much of Europe. Indeed, the subset of Neoclassicism known as Empire style is strongly associated with Napoleon's rule. Because of its connections with imperial grandeur, the style was characterized by opulent details such as the use of expensive woods like ebony and mahogany, and gilded bronze (ormolu) embellishments based on Roman and Egyptian motifs. Variations on the Empire style outside France include Biedermeier in German-speaking countries, Regency in Great Britain, and Federal style in the US.

The desk chair in the photo dates from 1805-1808. Made of mahogany and gilded bronze with satin-velvet upholstery, it is an early example of swivel chair, with casters under each of its legs that allow the sitter to move around easily. This elegant yet practical piece of furniture, which combines comfort and opulence, may have belonged to Napoleon himself, or a member of his close family.

The style known as Second Empire flourished during the reign of Napoleon III, the last monarch of France (1852-1870). It was characterized by an extremely eclectic approach, combining elements from various historical styles, but also making use of innovative materials and techniques. Second Empire furniture was opulent and richly decorated, but also prioritized comfort: various kinds of upholstered armchairs, sofas and footstools, often with long fringes that completely hid the legs, are one of the style's hallmarks. The design of larger furniture items, such as sideboards and cabinets, was often inspired by the French Renaissance, with an abundance of carvings, or 18th-century Neoclassicism (Louis XVI).

The sideboard shown in the photo is a typical example of Second Empire furniture that combines Neoclassical influences - such as the columns and the gilded bronze motifs - with an elaborate central panel containing a relief of a tree created with marble and other stones in different colours. This technique, known as "pietra dura" (Italian for "semiprecious stone"), became popular in Europe during the Renaissance.

The revival of the styles of the past was a major component of 19th-century art and architecture. Along with the Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance styles that prevailed in 19th-century continental Europe, Gothic Revival became one of the most significant trends of the Victorian era, fuelled by the popularity of medieval themes in Romantic literature. The elongated shapes and intricate decorative motifs of Gothic architecture were enthusiastically adopted by craftsmen, including furniture makers.

Though Gothic Revival acquired a particularly high profile in Great Britain, outstanding examples of the style were produced in other countries as well. The armchair in the photo, dating from around 1850, was designed by the firm of Joseph-Pierre- François Jeanselme, and upholstered by the firm of Jacques-Michel Dulud. Clearly displaying one of the chief elements of the Gothic style - the ogee arch at the back - the chair is made of carved rosewood, with silk and leather upholstery in a pattern of flowering scrolls inspired by medieval tapestries.

Art Nouveau ("new art" in French) was a product of the Aesthetic movement that dominated much of Western culture at the turn of the 20th century. A truly cosmopolitan style - known by different names in the countries where it developed - it was influenced by various artistic traditions, both Western and Eastern. Art Nouveau's primary source of inspiration was the natural world, in particular the sinuous, curving shapes of flowers and leaves. One of the movement's most innovative features was the breakdown of the distinction between fine arts (such as painting and sculpture) and the vast world of decorative (or applied) arts - including interior design, which was conceived as the production of a complete work of art.

The beautiful dining room vitrine in the photo, by eminent French designer and architect Eugène Gaillard, dates from 1899-1900. The flowing curves that distinguish the style are clearly on display in this artifact, which is almost completely devoid of sharp angles. Elegant, stylized floral shapes are etched into the glass doors and carved in relief into the lustrous blonde wood; the two drawer handles also reprise those curving, almost serpentine motifs.

In the 1920s, Art Deco (short for "Art Décoratif") took over from Art Nouveau as the most popular style, establishing a strong presence particularly in architecture and the applied arts. Indeed, Art Deco embodied the elegance and luxury of the era, paralleling the unstoppable march of technological progress in the 1920s and 1930s. Cars, skyscrapers and everyday objects equally shared the essential features of the style - replacing Art Nouveau's elegant curves with straight lines and geometrical shapes.

Art Deco furniture was produced not only for use in private homes, but also for the interiors of trains and ocean liners. Renowned furniture designers made ample use of rare woods (such as ebony and mahogany) and other expensive materials. The cabinet in the photo, designed in 1922 by Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann (one of the most important furniture designers of the era), is a case in point. Made of ebony and amaranth wood, it has a distinctive rectangular shape with its front angles cut off; the front of the cabinet is embellished with an ivory inlay of a stylized human figure driving a chariot.

Reacting against the perceived elitism of Art Deco, Modernism marked a utilitarian approach to design that could appeal to more than just a privileged few. Among the major art and design movements that can be subsumed under the Modernist label, there are De Stijl (mentioned in this quiz's title) from the Netherlands, Bauhaus from Germany, and International Style. The latter was born in Western Europe as an architectural movement that espoused minimalism and the utilitarian nature of buildings, and subsequently extended to interior and furniture design. The exhibition "Modern Architecture: International Exhibition" held at New York's MoMA in 1932 featured the works of some of the movement's most prominent figures, such as Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Alvar Aalto - who designed the chair depicted in the photo.

In the early 1930s, Aalto and his wife Aino designed the Paimio Sanatorium in Southwest Finland (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site), where tuberculosis sufferers received treatment. The two architects also designed the interiors and the furniture, with the aim of making the building itself part of the healing process. One of Aalto's most famous and enduringly popular designs, the chair in the photo (officially named Armchair 41) is made of bent birch plywood. Placed in the patients' lounge, these chairs were meant to help patients breathe more easily. The Paimio chair is still produced by Finnish company Artek, founded by the Aaltos and other designers in 1935.

Based on ideas of functionalism and simplicity combined with high-quality craftmanship, Danish design developed in the mid-20th century, shortly after the end of WWII. The style known as Danish modern or Scandinavian modern is characterized by its minimalist approach, emphasis on clean lines, and keen eye for creating furniture that is practical as well as comfortable. The work of major designers such as Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen was essential in establishing a furniture industry globally known for its seamless blend of form and function.

Some of the most iconic furniture items produced by Danish modern designers have been inspired by nature, as is the case of Arne Jacobsen's Egg chair. The Stingray chair in the photo, designed by Thomas Pedersen for his Master's project at the University of Aarhus in the early 2000s, is a striking contemporary example of this trend. A rocking chair produced in various materials by Pedersen's own SPARK studio, it evokes the flowing shape of a large stingray - allowing a person to sit back and relax in different positions.