French Empire Style Furniture Characteristics

Neoclassic in style it was a period inspired by the decorative motifs and characteristics of greco roman models a french style intended to clearly express the imperial majesty of napoleonic france.

French empire style furniture characteristics.

The previous fashionable style in france had been the directoire style a more austere and minimalist form of neoclassicism that replaced the louis xvi style. Simple curtain poles often arrow shaped not heavy cornices. Dominated by greco roman models the empire style spare noble massive had a studied dignity consistent with napoleonic majesty. After 1820 and is considered the second more robust phase of the neoclassical style which earlier had been expressed in the adam style in britain and louis seize or louis xvi in france.

Directoire french interiors are characterised by painted wallpaper instead of the tapestries of earlier french periods furniture coverings and curtains of cretonne with classic designs in place of brocades and damasks or magnificent textiles. Slender and curved legs like the. The new elite owed its fortune and glory to a master whose predilections it imitated shamelessly. American empire is a french inspired neoclassical style of american furniture and decoration that takes its name and originates from the empire style introduced during the first french empire period under napoleon s rule.

The klismos style chair directly modeled on ancient greek styles was one of the most important forms of the empire style this was the french empire style. It gained its greatest popularity in the u s. Their flat surfaces and sharp corners together with their lack of moldings produced an. The empire style is often considered an evolution of the neoclassical style which had emerged in the second half of the 18th century and had some common characteristics.

The american empire period took more influence from the french than the english with a greater emphasis on curved arms cabriole legs and ornate paw or claw feet. The style corresponds somewhat to the biedermeier style in the german speaking lands federal style in the united states and the regency style in britain. Supporting columns on the corners of dressers and glass in place of raised panels were also hallmarks of this period. Painted furniture with straight lines or simple mahogany and chestnut.

The characteristic furniture types were a bit stiff but imposing. Raised gilded ornamentation and the rounded shape of this dresser are baroque. The economy was booming and a new haute bourgeois aristocracy was forming that craved fine furniture and decoration. Napoleon centralized artistic production so that furniture design was consistent its grandeur marked by symmetrical ornamentation and large solid forms.

Foliage motifs baroque style used a great deal of plant life in its ornamentation including scrolling foliage and garlands of flowers. In architecture it resulted in large. Plentiful gold and darker shades of ivory are typically baroque style. The result was a style whose spectacular success and uniformity was unprecedented in france.