TomD
French sense that it could not be stylish until the French say so. And apparently the beauty of dark real wood in England will not be the vanguard of that style change it will be painted faux effect in French public buildings. Presumably at those times mostly urinals. Rock on!

My take:

"... a darkness that inspires sadness, and that French gallantry and elegance would be at pains to adopt, at least until fashion dictates otherwise..."

Awesome! An e-books maybe, but all the gatekeepers of French publishing were 100% onside, one would imagine...

It is kinda interesting. Today we know what an earlier piece of furniture should look like, if we are educated in the mater, but we are incapable of being that person above whose world view would actually demand it. Allegiance to the past maybe, but rarely if ever authentically in it.