French Furniture, The Empire Style
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Article by: Michael Russell In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte had himself anointed and crowned Emperor of France. The furniture , The Top Ten Mistakes People When Decorating a Room style known as Empire is a style of majestic grandeur that Napoleon felt fitting to honor his glory. He considered himself the greatest world ruler since Julius Caesar. The Empire style is the last of the great French styles that widely influenced furniture , Buying Custom Wood Blinds design throughout the world. During his rule, Napoleon conquered Italy and Egypt. He was overwhelmed by his conquest of these countries. He brought back to France archaeological wonders of Egypt, the long-forgotten ancient empire. He was proud of his conquest of Italy and Egypt and proudly considered himself as the first worthy successor to Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. Furniture , What to Buy from Broyhill designed in this period was meant to imitate the designs , The Allure of Exotic Hardwood Floors of these great empires. Napoleon commissioned the greatest artist of Europe to create architecture and decoration that would equate the grandeur of Greece, the glory of Rome and the massiveness of Egypt. The Empire style furniture , Don't be Afraid to Spin that Old Color Wheel! is massive, in grand scale and very masculine. It has a severe, heavy, masculine look with no carving. The wood , A Review of Popular Massage Chairs carving which is very common in the previous styles of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI is generally replaced with wood , 7 Point Checklist for Choosing the Right Candle Holders veneers polished to a high sheen. To equalize the bareness of wood , Interior Design With A Plasma veneer, metal , Home Furnishing - Creating You Ideal Living Space gilts are used to adorn the furniture. , Contemporary Glass Art A good clue to identifying the Empire style is the vulgar use of ormolu mounts. Ormolus are gilt-metal decorations usually in different decorative motifs. These are usually drawn from antique sources or patriotic inspiration. There are motifs derived from Egyptian archeology. Falcon, sphinxes, cobras, obelisks, winged lions are just some of these Egyptian inspired decorations. Napoleon's fascination with his conquest of Egypt and later on the excavation of ruins by the French Egyptologists created so much interest in everything related to Egypt. There are also motifs derived from ancient Greek and Roman design. , Stunning Crystal Chandelier Cesigns Vases, lamps, torches, heads of Greek gods, ram's head and cornucopias are among the many Greek and Roman inspired decorations incorporated into the Empire style of furniture. , Summertime Simplicity in Your Home Decorating French Patriotism grew stronger during Napoleon's rule and it was evident in the many patriotically inspired decorations which included laurel wreaths, eagles, swords, lances, rifles, drum and bugles. The use of legs that are shaped like animals or sphinxes is very typical to the Empire style. The graceful cabriole legs of the previous styles have been replaced with the massive, more often overstated and vulgar use of legs that are shaped like animals. The following are the general characteristics of the Empire style of furniture: 1. It has heavy masculine look. 2. Wood , Heart of the Home - Faux Finishes For Kitchen Cabinetry veneers polished to high sheen are used instead of the ornate wood , Small Business Marketing Plans carving usually associated with the previous French furniture , 5 Tips to Create Style and Elegance in Your Home styles. 3. The excessive use of large, often badly cast ormolu mounts. 4. Wood , Glider Rocker Cushions-All You Will Ever Need to Know back chairs , Room Dividers Can Be Decorative And Functional with upholstered seats. These include the barrel armchair which is a very typical Empire style chair. , Enhance Your Interior With Nine Professional Decorating Tips 5. The use of designs , Impart A Different Look To The Casual Home Decorating With The Wood Curtain Rods inspired by classical Greece. 6. Mirror-back console table. This is usually used by the ladies to check their no-longer floor-length hemlines. 7. The use of motifs inspired by ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece. 8. The use of Patriotic and military motifs and the use of letter "N", Napoleon's name initial. In conclusion, it is relatively easy to recognize the Empire style of furniture , Bean Bag Chairs – Choosing the Right One with its massive appearance and overbearing ormolu mounts which usually depicts Egyptian, Greek and Roman themes. This style is a step backward from the simple but elegant Louis XVI style.
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