Posts Tagged ‘chateau des tuileries’

19th Century Empire Furniture.

A ROYAL FRENCH CENTRE TABLE
Centre tables became increasingly popular in the early 19th century Designed to stand in the middle Of a room, this piece was intended to be seen from all angles. Consequently, the tessellated marquetry top is decorated on all sides, and the top even
swivels. Placed over planks, which make up the top, the veneers include alternating petals of maple and mahogany. The outer border is crossbanded with tulipwood and encloses several thuyawood panels “inlaid” with trophies of Science, Painting, Gardening, Architecture, Music, and Navigation.
Technically the use of the word “inlaid” is inaccurate here as the trophies and the thuyawood ground are cut from veneers of equal thickness and pieced together (more like parquetry). In other words, the trophies are not laid into a thick piece of timber but are veneered on top of the secondary carcase of the table top. The pentagonal column and the concave-sided plinth are veneered in burr elm. This local light-coloured wood, like the maple veneers on the top, is typical of the taste for boil (lairs during the Empire period.
Equally typical of this style are the ormolu mounts on the column and plinth, depicting
winged figures of victory. This choice of subject is of great significance, as the table bears a print label inscribed Chateau des Tuileries/1929 and 1047 Salon dc la famille du Roi.
This table was made for
Louis XVIII of France by LouisFrancois-Laurent Puteaux around 1815. The victory
figures could, therefore, refer to the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy after the final exile of Napoleon in that year.
An exceptional piece, it is unusual for the period, as most pieces relied on well-figured veneers for decoration rather than parquetry.
A burr-elm and marquetry centre table This piece has a circular swivelling top, with a central geometric-inlaid rosette and broad border. It is raised on a pentagonal column and supported on a concave-sided pentagonal plinth. The table rests on bun feet. Made by Puteaux
Table top
The trophies of Science, Painting,
Gardening, Architecture, Music,
and Navigation are divided by
green-stained wreaths.
A GREAT DEAL OF the furniture produced in Europe,
the United States, and South Africa from the time of
the French Revolution to around 1830 owes some closely
stylistic allegiance to the French Empire style. The
British Regency and German Biedermeier styles (see
pp.206 and 216) were both highly idiosyncratic and,
although indebted to the Napoleonic manner, were
influential in their own right. It is one of the ironies countries France had conquered,
of the period that countries so hostile to Napoleon including Spain, Italy, and the
and French rule, including Britain, Germany and Netherlands.
Russia, adopted a style derived from Paris fashions.
NEW CUSTOMERS Napoleon famously failed to conquer, still
The period is also notable for a subtle shift in market
from the aristocratic patrons of pre-revolutionary
France to the bourgeoisie. It is sometimes argued that
the rise of the middle-class buyer heralded a decline
in the quality of furniture, but the discerning eye
will appreciate that fine Empire furniture is of an
equal quality to that which preceded it. The Industrial
Revolution also affected furniture workshops, which,
throughout the 19th century were increasingly
mechanized. This process was aided by the disbanding
of the guild system in France early in the Revolution,
freeing cabinet-makers and bronze founders from the
restrictive procedures formerly enforced upon them.
style remained the height of fashion until 1815 when the Emperor
was finally exiled for
good. Thereafter, it became heavier in porportion and freer of decoration such as ormolu mounts.
However, as the Empire style was taken up in various other countries in Europe, it was combined with the local traditions and
techniques. In the American furniture, which was largely Influenced
by British style: the shaped back panel, bowed front
and tapering legs display the Classical influences of the period.