French Furniture

Of special interest to Alton Bowman Studio is the history of French furniture. French furniture is very popular in Dallas and we see many 19th century versions of 18th century masterpieces.

In France, the training of furniture artists is very much like the classical art training. For example, at the Ecole Boule, students select a specialty of study such as carving, marquetry, or chairmaking and go on to become experts in that particular field.

In America, conservators of French furniture must become as proficient as possible in all the fields. It is very challenging and immensely rewarding to master these arts.

Mr. Bowman was fortunate to be included in the first AIC, Wooden Artifacts Group Furniture in France Study Tour in 2001. Sponsored by the AIC, the Mellon Foundation, and the Getty Foundation, a group of 18 conservators spent a month in Paris and six other cities examining French furniture in museums, chateaus, and private collections.