French Empire Style Furniture Characteristics

Political activity heavily influenced early to mid 19th century furniture style as seen in two dominant styles french and american empire.

French empire style furniture characteristics.

This was the french empire style in architecture it resulted in large and imperial structures and in furniture it resulted in regal pieces that communicated both strength and wealth. The empire style french pronunciation. Dominated by greco roman models the empire style spare noble massive had a studied dignity consistent with napoleonic majesty. Putti this is an italian word that means boys and refers to chubby infants used in much of the baroque décor.

Similarly marble is found in several style types including french and american empire as well as rococo revival. Furniture styles of the 1800s vary widely. Crests and initials monograms used for decorative purposes were common in baroque style furniture as were heraldic crests. The empire style was popularized during the reign of napoleon i and is marked by a continuation of neoclassical motifs from the era preceding it albeit in a more elegant and opulent way.

After 1820 and is considered the second more robust phase of the neoclassical style which earlier had been expressed in the. Their flat surfaces and sharp corners together with their lack of moldings produced an effect of grandeur that was not without beauty. Furniture made during queen victoria s reign from 1837 to 1901 drew heavily from gothic rococo and louis xv furniture with dark finishes or gilding embellishments and heavy proportions. ɑ piːʁ style empire is an early nineteenth century design movement in architecture furniture other decorative arts and the visual arts representing the second phase of neoclassicism it flourished between 1800 and 1815 during the consulate and the first french empire periods although its life span lasted until the late 1820s.

The characteristic furniture types were a bit stiff but imposing. 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 victorian period overlapped the industrial revolution making it the first style of furniture to be manufactured. Napoleon centralized artistic production so that furniture design was consistent its grandeur marked by symmetrical ornamentation and large solid forms.

American empire 1800 to 1840 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. Furniture craftsmen learned this technique from french and dutch cabinet makers. It gained its greatest popularity in the u s.