Empire Style

The Empire style is the decorative style of period furniture that asserted itself under the Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte and therefore dates from 1799, the year in which Napoleon was elected consul, and 1815, the year of his final defeat. It does not present a strong and decisive stylistic leap but it has many elements of continuity with the previous Directoire style , in the more general Neoclassical climate, which drew from the study of classical antiquity the forms and models to inspire it in the creation of antique furniture . The peculiar trait of this style is a greater grandeur and aulicity of the furnishings , which had to convey the grandeur of the French nation to the world, from which the name Empire style also derives.
Empire-style antique furniture , therefore, is characterized by straight, majestic and massive lines, adorned with motifs dear to Napoleon such as bees, eagles, large N surrounded by laurel. After the Egyptian campaign , period furniture was made with many elements taken from Egyptian art.
The Empire style furnishings continued all of the previous major designs. The only innovative piece of furniture introduced during this period was the Empire Style Psyche , an oval mirror supported by two lateral column uprights. Among the Empire style chairs , the most typical seats are the ax stools, while among the Empire style sofas the most popular was the meridienne , a particular type of small sofa . Among the Empire style tables the most produced and sought after are the Empire style consoles and the gueridons .

Empire-style furniture was greatly affected by the historical conditions in which it developed: since it was necessary to restore and rebuild many structures destroyed by the revolutionary uprisings, it was necessary to quickly create period furniture , therefore the inlay decorations and refined carvings of previous years gave way to the step to applications in flat bronze , perhaps gilded. Indeed, in antiques , the Empire style can be considered as the transition point towards the creation of antique furnishings in a more industrial and serial and less artistic-artisanal form. The classic essence of Empire furniture is mahogany , even if it was gradually abandoned, at least in France, towards the end of this era, due to the block on imports brought about by Napoleon's desire to resort to local woods.

The Empire style found great diffusion in all European countries and was not limited to France.
Are you looking for an empire style chandelier ? Do you think that what is missing in your bedroom is an Empire-style bedside table ? Then we advise you to consult our online catalogue , updated daily, with all our new arrivals , certified and original, in the Empire style antiques section. In Di Mano in Mano, for over 20 years we have been able to offer all our experience and professionalism to respond to every customer need. Do not wait!

Our salesmen will be able to advise you on the Empire style furniture best suited to meet your needs and our expert restorers will tell you how to bring them back to their original beauty. Don't forget that all the products visible in our online catalog are available for hire . We are waiting for you in our stores in Milan and Cambiago .
If, on the other hand, you're clearing out your old home and don't know what to do with the old furniture inside, the answer is simple. Sell them! We buy your antique furniture to give it a second life. We offer the best price on the market and maximum confidentiality. The big plus is that you can sell them from the comfort of your home. Trust us !

If you want to find out more about the Empire style , also take a look at our in-depth study on FineArt . To learn more about this style, we offer you in-depth articles written by our industry experts:

- Empire, a style of furniture with political ends.
- How society influences furnishing taste.
- Empire pendulum clock "Pegasus and Perseus".