The Napoleonic Empire style is a design movement involving decorative arts and visual arts. It spread between 1800 and 1815, under Napoleon I.
Image source: https://www.pbase.com/image/46637114
Origin and Diffusion
The Napoleonic Empire style took its name from Napoleon I, a style inspired by ancient Egypt and imperial Rome. Napoleon imposed a centralization on art controlling architects. In architecture it was exemplified by monuments as Chalgrin’s Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile. In painting, by Jacques-Louis David, and in sculpture, by Antonio Canova.
The style corresponds to the Biedermeier style in the German-speaking lands, the Federal style in the United States, and the Regency style in Britain. The previous style in France was called Louis XVI style.
Image source: http://www.louvre.fr
Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_as_Mars_the_Peacemaker
Napoleonic Empire Style Characteristics
If Directoire is Doric in nature, Napoleonic Empire is instead Corinthian. Napoleonic Empire Style’s interest in the architecture and decorative motifs of the Roman Empire is a key factor to this style. Chairs were made more for display. Etruscan and Egyptian motifs of Napoleonic Empire Style chairs included:
- Greek key designs and painted Etruscan scenes;
- Animal motifs;
- Egyptian masks;
Image source: https://www.onekingslane.com/info/home/empire-style-chairs-1810
Secretaries, cabinets, and commodes, important displays for this style are featured with:
- Simplistic brass ornament, with classical leanings;
- Marble tops;
- Revolutionary-inspired motifs;
- bees, sheaves of grain, and cornucopias symbols of prosperity;
Image source: https://www.onekingslane.com/info/home/empire-style-chairs-1800-1815
Architects
The French architects Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine designed furnishings for the estate rooms of Napoleon. Their ideas were written and made public in their “Recueil de décorations intérieures”. The main archaeological discoveries of the Empire style led to direct copying of classical themes in furniture and was added a new class of Egyptian ornament, liked the experiences of Napoleon in Egypt.
Image source: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Percier
Info source: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/empr/hd_empr.htm https://www.britannica.com/art/Empire-style https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_style https://www.onekingslane.com/info/home/empire-style-chairs-1800-1820/
