Empire Style by Adrian Alan Ltd

empire style

SPLENDOUR SYMBOLISM & POWER

Magnificent Empire Style Furniture & Works of Art

EMPIRE STYLE SPLENDOR SYMBOLISM AND POWER

Conceptual and all embracing, the Empire Style combined a passion for antiquity with the grandeur and elegance of pre-revolutionary neoclassicism

The period was to see the revival of classical ideas and influences, primarily in the decorative arts. Napoléon's court was quick to adopt the classical designs discovered in the archaeological excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum, together with exotic hieroglyphic

In 1804 Napoléon I, crowned himself Emperor

motifs from the Egyptian campaigns.

of France, ending years of political instability and signalling the dawning of the Empire

Revolutionary conquests were echoed in the

period. During this time, the economy was

use of antique forms in architecture and the

booming and a new aristocracy was forming,

decorative arts, proclaiming 'fame' and

with Napoléon's court as its cornerstone.

'victory'.

The use of these ancient designs and motifs

responsibility was the renovation of the

celebrated France as the heir to these great

various royal residences, including Malmaison.

civilisations imbuing it with the grandeur of

Their ‘Recueil des décorations intérieures’

Greece, the glory of Rome and the

(1812) became the essential handbook of the

magnificence of the Pharaohs. Typical Empire

Empire style. After the fall of Napoléon the

motifs included the acanthus leaf, anthemion

Empire style continued to be in favour for

(stylised honeysuckle), animal-paw feet,

many decades, with only minor adaptations.

cornucopia, classical figures, dolphin, eagle, lyre and rosette. For ornamentation, gilt-

The second half of the nineteenth century was

bronze was a prerequisite. The most

to see a revival of the style, and the popularity

influential architects of the Empire style were

of its strong but simple lines continues to the

Charles Percier (1764-1838) and Pierre-

present day.

François-Léonard Fontaine (1762-1853). Official architects to Napoléon, their main

A Very Fine Empire Gilt and Patinated Bronze Mounted Mahogany Cheval Mirror or 'Psyché' of grand scale. French, Circa 1820. Height : 232 cm 91 inches Width : 111 cm 44 inches Depth : 73 cm 29 inches

A Magnificent and Highly Important Pair of Gilt-Bronze Figural Empire Period Candelabra. French, Circa 1815. Height : 101 cm 40 inches | Width : 30 cm 12 inches | Depth : 32 cm 13 inches

An Empire Style Mahogany and Parcel Gilt Overmantel Mirror by Alix A Paris French, Circa 1880. Height : 216 cm 85 inches | Width : 103 cm 41 inches | Depth : 11 cm 4 inches

A Rare Gilt-Bronze Mounted Mahogany Empire Revival Salon Suite by François Linke. French, Circa 1910. The salon suite comprises a mahogany canape a set of four mahogany side chairs with gilt-bronze crossed arrow splats and a mahogany stool. The original tacking underneath the chairs stenciled 'LINKE PARIS'. Stamped to the reverse of the bronze mounts ‘FL’. The canapé has a pale green silk with gold thread, rectangular upholstered back and seat with gilt-bronze mounted tapering square section legs to the front and sabre legs to the rear, terminating in lion paw feet. The stool has a rectangular upholstered top in pale green silk and gold thread above four tapering square section legs united by an x-shaped stretcher. Canape - Height : 96 cm 38 inches | Width : 150 cm 59 inches | Depth : 58 cm 23 inches Chairs- Height : 82 cm 32 inches | Width : 40 cm 16 inches | Depth : 38 cm 15 inches Stool - Height : 51 cm 20 inches | Width : 100 cm 39 inches | Depth : 40 cm 16 inches

A Fine Empire Style Gilt-Bronze and Mahogany Gueridon, With A Verde Antico Marble Top, In the Manner of Jacob-Desmalter. French, Circa 1880. Height : 85 cm 33 inches | Diameter : 91 cm 36 inches

An Empire Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Green Granite Fireplace. French, Circa 1850. The fireplace has a rectangular mantel shelf above a frieze centred by applied gilt-bronze mounts of an Eagle and wreath supported by winged female figures holding aloft Laurel branches and holding ribbon garlands. The jambs of the fireplace are enlivened with gilt-bronze mounts of neo-classical urns and anthemion motifs and put down on plinth bases. The fire aperture is framed by an inset cast iron frame cast with rosettes and foliate motifs. French, Circa 1850. Height : 110 cm 43 inches | Width : 160 cm 63 inches | Depth : 41 cm 16 inches

An Empire Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Bureau Plat by Maison Forest. French, Circa 1900. Bearing two labels to the underside: 'FOREST/TAPISSERIE/EBENISTERIE/31 RUE CAMBACERES.PARIS'. This fine burr amboyna veneered bureau plat has a gilt-tooled leather writing surface above a central long drawer, flanked to each side by two short drawers. The tapering legs are headed by exceptional cast gilt-bronze mounts in the form of Egyptian sphinx heads and terminate in delicate and exceptionally rare cast bronze human feet with sandals. Paris, Circa 1900. Maison Forest Maison Forest was established at 14 rue Pierre-Picard in 1883 and at 31 rue Cambaceres, Paris. The furniture created by Maison Forest is notable for its high quality gilt-bronze mounts and sophisticated decoration. Height : 77 cm 30 inches | Width : 142 cm 56 inches | Depth : 84 cm 33 inches

An Impressive and Highly Important Pair of Empire Style Mahogany Side Cabinets. One with an Integral Clock The Other a Barometer by Fournier. French, Circa 1880. Height : 210 cm 83 inches | Width : 87 cm 34 inches | Depth : 39 cm 15 inches

An Extremely Rare and Large Napoleonic Style Empire Gilt-Bronze Mounted Mahogany Bedstead. French, Circa 1870 This impressive example is based on the bed made by the prominent Paris furniture maker Jacob Desmalter for the bedroom of the Empress Josephine at the Chateau de Malmaison during the refurbishment of 1810. The richness and magnificent scale of the bed is in keeping with Napoleon's confidence and belief in the Empire Period. Height : 138 cm 54 inches | Width : 217 cm 85 inches | Length: 266 cm 105 inches

An Extremely Rare and Fine Empire Period Paris Porcelain Coffee Service Painted with Harbour Scenes in its Original Fitted Mahogany Case. French, Circa 1815. The service comprises: A Coffee Pot and Cover, A Hot Water Jug and Cover, A Cream Jug, A Sucrier and Cover, A Footed Bowl & Twelve Coffee Cans with Twelve Saucers. The porcelain is finely painted with harbour scenes within burnished gilt bands. The Service is presented in its original fitted mahogany case with tooled leather lining and brass fittings. Height : 27 cm 11 inches | Width : 64 cm 25 inches | Depth : 53 cm 21 inches

A Large Empire Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Mahogany Desk Chair. French, Circa 1880. Height : 107 cm 42 inches | Width : 74 cm 29 inches | Depth : 80 cm 31 inches

A Pair of Empire Style Mahogany Six Drawer Wellington Chests. The Mounts by Maison Mottheau Et Fils. Dated, 1919. Height : 155 cm 61 inches | Width : 70 cm 28 inches | Depth : 50 cm 20 inches

A Majestic Louis-Philippe Giltwood and Gilt Composition King Size Bed, after a model by Francois-Honoré-Georges JacobDesmalter, the outwardly curved headboard flanked by two open-winged swans on foliate cornucopia supports ending in hooffeet, the side-boards decorated with flower-filled scrolling acanthus and flower garlands, the foot-end with conforming cornucopia supports overflowing with fruits and flowers. This bed is identical in design to the one supplied to the Empress Joséphine by Francois-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter for Malmaison in 1810 (L. de Groër, Les Arts Décoratifs de 1790 à 1850, (Fribourg), 1985; p. 84, fig. 137). An inventory taken upon the death of Joséphine of the contents of Malmaison lists in 1814 as item 486: ...une couchette en bois sculpté et doré, avec son estrade, couverte en drap rouge, garnie de trois matelas de laine couverts de futaine blanche... This bed was moved to Bavaria by her son, prince Eugène, who gave it to Napoléon III when he visited Malmaison in 1867. (S. Grandjean, Inventaire après Décès de I'Impératrice Joséphine à Malmaison, (Paris), 1964, pp. 99 and 100) French, Circa 1850. Height : 127 cm 50 inches | Width : 184 cm 72 inches | Length: 241 cm 95 inches

A Fine Pair of Sèvres-Style Napoleonic Cobalt-Blue Ground Porcelain Vases. French, Circa 1900. Height : 60 cm 24 inches | Diameter : 35 cm 14 inches

A Fine Gilt-Bronze Empire Clock Depicting Minerva Riding the Chariot of Diomedes, After the Model by Reiche. French Circa 1820. Height : 40 cm 16 inches | Width : 50 cm 20 inches | Depth : 13 cm 5 inches

A Fine Mahogany And Gilt-Bronze Seven Piece Second Empire Salon Suite in the Manner of Jacob-Desmalter. French, Circa 1880. Consisting of One Canapé, Two Bergères and Four Chairs. The Canapé and Bergères each having armrests headed by finely cast caryatid herms.

A Fine Gilt and Patinated Bronze Empire Style Globe Three-Light Chandelier. French, Circa 1880. Height : 99 cm 39 inches | Diameter : 53 cm 21 inches

A Remarkable And Highly Important Pair of Empire Gilt-Bronze and Cut-Crystal Six-Light Candelabra, Attributed To Escalier De Cristal De Paris. French, Circa 1819. Height : 97 cm 38 inches | Width : 31 cm 12 inches | Depth : 31 cm 12 inches

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