The Empire style (, ''style Empire'') is an early-nineteenth-century

design A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...

movement in

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

furniture Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., Stool (seat), stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (table (furniture), tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furnitur ...

, other

decorative arts ] The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose aim is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional. This includes most of the objects for the interiors of buildings, as well as interior design, but typically excl ...

, and the

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...

, representing the second phase of

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative arts, decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiq ...

. It flourished between 1800 and 1815 during the Consulate and the

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

periods, although its life span lasted until the late-1820s. From France it spread into much of Europe and the United States. The Empire style originated in and takes its name from the rule of the Emperor Napoleon I in the

, when it was intended to idealize Napoleon's leadership and the French state. The previous fashionable style in France had been the Directoire style, a more austere and minimalist form of Neoclassicism that replaced the Louis XVI style, and the new Empire style brought a full return to ostentatious richness. The style corresponds somewhat to the '' Biedermeier style'' in the German-speaking lands, Federal style in the United States, and the Regency style in Britain.

History

The Directoire style of the immediately preceding period aimed at a simpler, but still elegant evocation of the virtues of the Ancient Roman Republic:

The stoic virtues of Republican Rome were upheld as standards not merely for the arts but also for political behaviour and private morality. ''Conventionels'' saw themselves as antique heroes. Children were named after Brutus, Solon and Lycurgus. The festivals of the Revolution were staged by
David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
as antique rituals. Even the chairs in which the committee of '' Salut Publique'' sat were made on antique models devised by David. ...In fact Neo-classicism became fashionable.

Before the development of the Empire style there was a brief transitional Consulate style that formed under the Consulate. This style introduced many of the motifs of Empire style, taking inspiration from military campaigns, including the French campaign in Egypt and Syria, and was more formal and rectangular. The Empire style "turned to the florid opulence of Imperial Rome. The abstemious severity of Doric was replaced by Corinthian richness and splendour". Two French architects, Percier and Fontaine, were together the creators of the French Empire style. The two had studied in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and in the 1790s became leading furniture designers in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, where they received many commissions from Napoleon and other statesmen. Architecture of the Empire style was based on elements of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

and its many archaeological treasures, which had been rediscovered starting in the eighteenth century. The preceding

Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...

and Directoire styles employed straighter, simpler designs compared to the

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

style of the eighteenth century. Empire designs strongly influenced the contemporary American Federal style (such as design of the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

building), and both were forms of

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...

through architecture. It was a style of the people, not ostentatious but sober and evenly balanced. The style was considered to have "liberated" and "enlightened" architecture just as the propaganda that Napoleon had "liberated" the peoples of Europe with his

Napoleonic Code The Napoleonic Code (), officially the Civil Code of the French (; simply referred to as ), is the French civil code established during the French Consulate in 1804 and still in force in France, although heavily and frequently amended since i ...

. The Empire period was popularized by the inventive designs of Percier and Fontaine, Napoleon's architects for Malmaison. The designs drew for inspiration on symbols and ornaments borrowed from the glorious ancient Greek and Roman empires. Buildings typically had simple timber frames and box-like constructions, veneered in expensive mahogany imported from the colonies. Biedermeier furniture also used ebony details, originally due to financial constraints. Ormolu details (gilded bronze furniture mounts and embellishments) displayed a high level of craftsmanship. General Bernadotte, later to become King Karl Johan of Sweden and Norway, introduced the Napoleonic style to Sweden, where it became known under his own name. The Karl Johan style remained popular in Scandinavia even as the Empire style disappeared from other parts of Europe. France paid some of its debts to Sweden in ormolu bronzes instead of money, leading to a vogue for crystal chandeliers with bronze from France and crystal from Sweden. After Napoleon lost power, the Empire style continued to be in favour for many decades, with minor adaptations. There was a revival of the style in the last half of the nineteenth century in France, again at the beginning of the twentieth century, and again in the 1980s. The style survived in Italy longer than in most of Europe, partly because of its Imperial Roman associations, partly because it was revived as a national style of architecture following the

unification of Italy The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century Political movement, political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, annexation of List of historic states of ...

in 1870. Mario Praz wrote about this style as the Italian Empire. In the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States, the Empire style was adapted to local conditions and gradually acquired further expression as the Egyptian Revival, Greek Revival, Biedermeier style, Regency style, and late- Federal style.

Motifs and ornaments

All Empire ornament is governed by a rigorous spirit of symmetry reminiscent of the Louis XIV style. Generally, the motifs on a piece's right and left sides correspond to one another in every detail; when they do not, the individual motifs themselves are entirely symmetrical in composition: antique heads with identical tresses falling onto each shoulder, frontal figures of Victory with symmetrically arrayed tunics, identical rosettes or swans flanking a lock plate, etc. Like

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

had a set of emblems unmistakably associated with his rule, most notably the eagle, the bee, stars, and the initials I (for ''Imperator'') and N (for ''Napoleon''), which were usually inscribed within an imperial laurel crown. Motifs used include: figures of Nike bearing palm branches, Greek dancers, nude and draped women, figures of antique chariots, winged putti, mascarons of

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

, Hermes and the Gorgon, swans, lions, the heads of oxen, horses and wild beasts, butterflies, claws, winged chimeras,

sphinx A sphinx ( ; , ; or sphinges ) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. In Culture of Greece, Greek tradition, the sphinx is a treacherous and merciless being with the head of a woman, th ...

es, bucrania, sea horses, oak wreaths knotted by thin trailing ribbons, climbing grape vines, poppy rinceaux, rosettes, palm branches, and laurel. There's a lot of Greco-Roman ones: stiff and flat acanthus leaves, palmettes, cornucopias, beads,

amphora An amphora (; ; English ) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storage rooms and packages, tied together with rope and delivered by land ...

s, tripods, imbricated disks, caduceuses of Mercury, vases, helmets, burning torches, winged trumpet players, and ancient musical instruments (tubas, rattles and especially lyres). Despite their antique derivation, the fluting and triglyphs so prevalent under Louis XVI are abandoned. Egyptian Revival motifs are especially common at the beginning of the period: scarabs, lotus capitals, winged disks, obelisks, pyramids, figures wearing nemeses, caryatids ''en gaine'' supported by bare feet and with women Egyptian headdresses. Paris - Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel - PA00085992 - 034.jpg, Detail of Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel from Paris, with a pair of winged Victories Washstand (athénienne or lavabo) MET DP106597.jpg, A pair of

es with an

between them, surrounded by rinceaux and palmettes, on a washstand (athénienne or lavabo) Coin cabinet MET DP111801.jpg, The top of an Egyptian Revival pylon-shaped coin cabinet, with a cornice and a winged sun Strassburg chair 5914.jpg, A chair decorated with various kinds of palmettes Table Empire.jpg, A table with three winged lions and a small long frieze with palmettes

Architecture

The most famous Empire-style structures in France are the grand neoclassical

Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, often called simply the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Plac ...

of Place de l'Étoile, Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, Vendôme column, and La Madeleine, which were built in Paris to emulate the edifices of the Roman Empire. The style also was used widely in

Imperial Russia Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * ...

, where it was used to celebrate the victory over Napoleon in such memorial structures as the General Staff Building, Kazan Cathedral, Alexander Column, and Narva Triumphal Gate. Stalinist architecture is sometimes referred to as Stalin's Empire style. The Royal Palace of Amsterdam houses a complete collection of Empire furniture from the time of Louis Bonaparte, the largest collection outside of France. Interiors have spacious rooms, richly decorated with symmetrically arranged motifs. The walls are decorated with Corinthian

pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...

s and vertical panels, having at the top a decorative

frieze In classical architecture, the frieze is the wide central section of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic order, Ionic or Corinthian order, Corinthian orders, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Patera (architecture), Paterae are also ...

. The panels are covered with monumental paintings,

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

s, or with embroidered silks. The ceilings have light colours and fine ornaments. Historic sites which present an homogeneous ensemble, examples of the decoration of interiors of the early 19th century are: * Château de Malmaison in France * Hôtel de Beauharnais in Paris * Château de Compiègne in France * Château de Fontainebleau in France * Casa del Labrador in Spain * Royal Palace of Amsterdam in The Netherlands Château de Malmaison, France (48029730202).jpg, Empress Joséphine's Bedroom in Château de Malmaison ( Rueil-Malmaison, France), 1800–1802, by Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine Paris - Jardin des Tuileries - Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel - PA00085992 - 003.jpg, Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel (Paris), 1806–1808, by Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine Palais Bourbon, Paris 7e, NW View 140402 1.jpg, Portico of the Palais Bourbon (Paris), 1806–1808, by Bernard Poyet File:P1040409 Paris Ier colonne Vendôme rwk.JPG, Vendôme Column ( Place Vendôme, Paris), 1806–1810, by Jacques Gondouin and Jean-Baptiste Lepère Madeleine Paris.jpg, La Madeleine (Paris), 1807–1842, by File:SP KazanskyCathedral 2370.jpg, Kazan Cathedral (

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, Russia), 1811, by Andrey Voronikhin

Furniture

Washstand (athénienne or lavabo) MET DP106594.jpg, Washstand (athénienne or lavabo); 1800–1814; legs, base and shelf of yew wood, gilt-bronze mounts, iron plate beneath shelf; height: 92.4 cm, width: 49.5 cm;

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

(New York City) Secretary, France, 1804-1814, amboyna wood veneered on pine, gilt-bronze mounts, 23.147.1 - Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York City - DSC07689 (cropped and fixed angles).jpg, Secretary; 1804-1809; amboyna wood veneered on pine, with gilt-bronze mounts; 173.4 x 87.6 x 37.8 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art Le Trône de Napoléon Ier aux Tuileries - Musée du Louvre Objets d'art GMTC 2.jpg, Throne of Napoleon I; by Georges Jacob and François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter; 1804; embroidered velvet, gilt wood and ivory; height: 1.2 m;

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

Commode with Two Door Panels - OA 9968 - Louvre (01).jpg, Commode with two door panels; before 1805; mahogany with bronze mounts; 1.165 x 1.794 x 0.83 m; Louvre Trône de Napoléon 1er en provenance du Corps législatif - Exposition Versailles.jpg, Throne; by Bernard Poyet and François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter; 1805; carved and gilded wood, covered in red velvet with silver embroidery; 160 x 110 x 82 cm; Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris) File:Desk chair (fauteuil de bureau) MET DP278961.jpg, Desk chair; 1805–1808; mahogany, gilt bronze and satin-velvet upholstery; 87.6 × 59.7 × 64.8 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art Serre-bijoux de l'Impératrice dit Grand écrin (Louvre, OA 10246).jpg, Jewelry holder of the Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais; by François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter; 1809; mahogany, amaranth, ebony, taxus, mother-of-pearl, and gilt bronze mounts; 2.76 x 2 x 0.6 m; Louvre Coin cabinet MET DP103176.jpg, Egyptian Revival coin cabinet; by François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter; 1809–1819; mahogany (probably Swietenia mahagoni), with applied and inlaid silver; 90.2 x 50.2 x 37.5 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art Empire chair Louvre OA11934.jpg, Chair; before 1810; white trimmed wood with gilt carved decoration, modern trim, red and white silk; 90 x 50.5 x 44 cm;

Austria-03324 - Cradle of Napoleon's Son (32936041295).jpg, King of Rome's Cradle (Empire); by Pierre-Paul Prud'hon, , Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot and Pierre-Philippe Thomire; 1811; wood, silver gilt, mother-of-pearl, sheets of copper covered with velvet, silk and tulle, decorated with silver and gold thread; height: 216 cm; Kunsthistorisches Museum (

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

)

Clocks and candelabrums

France, late 18th-early 19th century - Candelabrums - 1989.170 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif, Candelabrum; circa 1800; gilt and patinated metal; overall: 49.9 x 25.7 x 12.3 cm; Cleveland Museum of Art (

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, US) Vase égyptien (Louvre, LP 3275).jpg, Egyptian Revival vase with pedestal; 1804–1806; varnished sheet and gilded bronze; height: 1.80 m, depth: 0.95 m;

Minerve, candélabre.jpg,

Minerva Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...

candelabra; 1804–1814; gilded and patinated bronze; height: 101 cm, width of the plinth: 25 cm, depth of the plinth: 19 cm; Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris Clock (France), 1807–10 (CH 18406837).jpg, Clock; 1807–1810; fire-gilt bronze, blackened bronze, enameled metal (dial), blued steel (hands); glass; 56 x 49.7 x 18.5 cm; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (New York City) Clock Thomire Louvre OA9511.jpg, Clock with

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

and

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

; by Pierre-Philippe Thomire; circa 1810; gilded bronze and patina; height: 90 cm;

Pierre-philippe thomire, centrotavola, parigi 1810 ca., con due candelabri.jpg, Centerpiece between two candelabra; by Pierre-Philippe Thomire; circa 1810; probably gilded bronze; Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, Portugal) Pair of candelabra with Winged Victories MET DP-315-001.jpg, Pair of candelabra with Winged Victories; 1810–1815; gilt bronze; height (each): 127.6 cm;

(New York City) Mantel clock called The Reader, by Jean-Andre Reiche, active in Paris, 1752-1817, gilt bronze, chased and patinated, marble, enamel - Montreal Museum of Fine Arts - Montreal, Canada - DSC08693.jpg, Mantel clock called The Reader; by Jean-Andre Reiche; circa 1810; matte and polished gilt bronze and "Vert de Mer" marble; 31 x 15 x 26 cm; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada)

Ceramic

Teapot (théière Asselin), part of Breakfast Service (déjeuner) MET DT5175.jpg, Teapot (théière Asselin), part of a breakfast service (déjeuner); 1813; hard-paste porcelain; height (with handle): 20.5 cm;

(New York City) Saucer, part of Breakfast Service (déjeuner) MET LC-56 29 7.jpg, Saucer, part of a breakfast service (déjeuner); 1813; hard-paste porcelain; height: 3.2 cm; diameter: 16.2 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art Sugar bowl with cover, part of Breakfast Service (déjeuner) MET LC-56 29 3ab-001.jpg, Sugar bowl with cover, part of a breakfast service (déjeuner); 1813; hard-paste porcelain; height: 21 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art Milk jug (pot à lait Étrusque), part of Breakfast Service (déjeuner) MET LC-56 29 4-004.jpg, Milk jug (pot à lait Étrusque), part of a breakfast service (déjeuner); 1813; hard-paste porcelain; height (with handle): 21.3 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art Tray (plateau), part of Breakfast Service (déjeuner) MET DT5174.jpg, Tray (plateau), part of a breakfast service (déjeuner); 1813; hard-paste porcelain; 2.5 x 37.5 x 33.3 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art Cup (tasse Jasmin), part of Breakfast Service (déjeuner) MET LC-56 29 5-002.jpg, Cup (tasse Jasmin), part of a breakfast service (déjeuner); 1813; hard-paste porcelain and silver gilt; height: 11.3 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art

Fashion

File:Großherzogin Stephanie von Baden.jpg, The Empire silhouette of Stéphanie de Beauharnais Madame Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Périgord (1761–1835) MET DT1994.jpg, Portrait of Madame Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, from circa 1804 Costume Parisien No.945 1809.jpg, 1809 illustration which shows how male Empire fashion looks like, from '' Journal des dames et des modes'' Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Périgord (1754–1838), Prince de Talleyrand MET DP148275.jpg, Portrait of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, from 1817

References

* * *

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Empire Style * Architectural styles Art movements Decorative arts French architectural styles Revival architectural styles