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Empire Style at a glance: Architecture: Classical Architects:
Percier and Fontaine. Buildings and Museums: Malmaison, Chteau de
Bagatelle, Fontainebleau, Wallace Collection, German Embassy in
Paris, Muse des Arts Dcoratifs, Hotel Bourienne. Interiors: Simple
rooms with painted polished plaster; tented rooms hung with silk
and muslins. Classical wallpaper borders used. Plain ceilings.
Curtains of muslin, with heavy silk or damask fixed drapery.
Favourite colours were red, white, blue, and also deep green,
violet, and gold. Floors: Parquet or marble covered with large
carpets of Aubusson (velvet pile with large patterns of wreaths and
squares). Windows and doors: Long casement windows. Doors
influenced by Greek Revival columns, pediments, arches and Greek
motifs. Interior doors panelled, grained like mahogany or painted.
Furniture: Heavy, mahogany, burr walnut, cherry, pear, with
classical details such as winged sphinxes. Fabrics: Muslin,
coloured silks, serge, merino wool, damasks with laurel leaves,
wreaths and swan motifs. Lighting: Candle power for chandeliers,
wall sconces, candelabras, and oil lamps.
Fontainebleau Palace aerial view Napolean Bonaparte became First
Consul in 1799, and Emperor in 1804. He was banished in 1815.
Josphine de Beauharnais
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The antique style of decoration was already fashionable before
the Revolution. It suited the revolutionaries, who admired the
Ancient Republics.
Madame Rcamier
Typical Empire motifs included: Napoleons monogram (the N) and
his emblem, laurel wreath, pentagram, military trophies, and such
Egyptian motifs as sphinxes, winged lions, lotus, caryatids,
acanthus leaves, stylized honeysuckles, cornucopia, eagles, lyres,
and rosettes.
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Detail of a French Empire necklace
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Percier & Fontaine create the Empire style to suit Napoleans
aspirations to glory, power, and prestige. Napolean told that they
have charming ideas and what they do is extremely elegant. Based
upon Roman architecture, as its grandeur and solidity were most
suited to Napoleans ideas about power and prestige. Rooms had
painted walls decorated with panels painted in the antique style
with classical dancing figures.
Wallpaper borders in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian patterns.
Friezes painted with garlands, classical figures and urns.
Inspired by the Grecian couch, the day bed with equal roll-over
ends. Boat or sleigh beds with roll-over ends.
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The lavish use of draperies on windows, walls, ceilings, beds,
and tented rooms (as Napoleans campaigns) were in vogue.
Tented rooms hung with silk and muslins, with heavy silk or
damask fixed drapery
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Aubusson carpets with repetitive motifs of wreaths, squares, and
hexagones.
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Fruit or flower basket
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Empire gilt oval wall
mirror
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Winged sphinxes used as arm supports
Chairs often had straight legs that were spiral-turned (tapered
or sabre legs)
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Ceremonial bedroom of Pauline Borghese French Empire style
mahogany and bronze & gilt trimmed queen size bed with swan
design
Dressing table
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French Empire commode
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Throne Room, Chteau de Fontainebleau, France
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Emperor's bedroom, Chteau de Fontainebleau Boudoir of the
Empress Josephine, Versailles, 1800, winged sphinxes, day-bed
couch, swans
