While the use of stone in decorative arts dates back to antiquity, it was during the 18th and 19th centuries that its application reached new heights. Marble, alabaster, granite, and a variety of precious and semi-precious stones were employed with great ingenuity, each chosen for its distinctive texture, colour, and character. These centuries, defined by both Rococo exuberance and Neoclassical restraint, followed by Victorian eclecticism and revivalist styles, saw stone transformed into furniture, ornament, and sculpture of remarkable beauty.
Stone in the 18th Century
The Rococo and Neoclassical movements shaped much of Europe’s decorative output. Rococo design, with its asymmetry, pastel palette, and intricate ornament, favoured the use of marble and alabaster in furniture, tabletops, mantel clocks, and small sculptures. Their polished surfaces caught and reflected light, heightening the elegance of interiors. Neoclassicism, by contrast, drew inspiration from antiquity. Its measured forms and geometric clarity encouraged widespread use of marble in columns, friezes, and chimneypieces. A celebrated expression of this taste was pietra dura: the inlay of semi-precious stones into marble to form intricate motifs and pictorial scenes, highly prized by collectors then and now.
Stone in the 19th Century
The Victorian era, along with the Gothic and Renaissance Revivals, brought stone into homes and public buildings with renewed vigour. Eclectic tastes favoured everything from small trinkets in polished hardstone to large-scale fireplaces, sculptures, and architectural carvings echoing medieval and Renaissance precedents. Granite and marble became staples of civic monuments and domestic interiors alike, combining durability with grandeur. Advances in quarrying and finishing techniques made a wider range of stones available, allowing artisans to experiment with increasingly ambitious designs.
Enduring Legacy
The stonework of the 18th and 19th centuries embodies both the artistry and technical innovation of the period. Today, these works endure as antiques, whether as elegant mantelpieces, pietra dura panels, or finely carved sculptures. Each piece speaks to the craftsmanship of its age, carrying forward the legacy of two centuries that elevated stone from a structural material to an essential medium of decorative art.
