Style Directory

Dates

  • Beginning of the style: 1795 Fine
  • of the style: 1799

Periods

During the short period of the Directory (October 1795 - November 1799).

Preceding or preexistent styles

One finds of them the first steps in the Style Louis XVI, starting from 1790; he announces the Style Worsens, with the appearance of certain decorative topics symbolizing the glory of the Napoleon future. He is different nevertheless clearly from the one and other.

Political situation and cultural

In full revolutionary torment and the period Directory (October 1795 - November 1799) which will precede the advent by Napoleon 1st and of the Empire.

Esthetics

Main features

Ornamentation

The style pompéien prevails, but the reasons for Renaissance inspiration are also very with the mode and the first decorations with the Egyptian woman appear, all interpreted in a range of very particular colors. The reasons for stucco or the sculptures are detached bright colors and run up against on walls brown pompéien, the purple ones, the orange ones, the black being the favorite colors for hangings.

“Industrial” tapestries, carpets, bronzes and other arts remain in regression, manufactures not having begun again yet their activities.

Discrete and light. The reasons are very few. But the rhombuses and the hexagons are present.

Furniture

The pieces of furniture are often enamelled.

The forms are simplified, the discrete curves and the straight lines without rigidity are combined in a great elegance. The armchairs of square form comprise an openwork file.

The ornamentation, simply carved and deprived of bronzes, is different from the pieces of furniture Louis XVI, whose some forms persist.

The ancient forms, put at the mode in the models carried out by the cabinetmaker Georges Jacob for the tables of David, are very in favor (reads of Mrs. Récamier, Marmottan museum, Paris).

Current pieces of furniture

New pieces of furniture

Materials

Plated beech mahogany tree, gilded beech or solid mahogany.

Techniques and tools

Cabinetmakers representative of the style

In arts…

Structure

Painting

Sculpture

…

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