Every antique speaks a language. This is where you learn to read it.

From the curves of Louis XV to the discipline of the Directoire, the imperial swagger of the Empire to the whiplash lines of Art Nouveau, French design evolved through distinct periods — each with its own vocabulary of form, motif, and meaning. The Grammar of Style is our working library of those periods: a clear, unhurried guide to recognizing what you're looking at, understanding why it was made that way, and seeing how one era answered the last. Whether you're furnishing a room, browsing a brocante, or simply curious how a chair can carry a century, these are the building blocks of a trained eye.