Le Style Empire Les Styles Directoire, Consulat Et Empire

Neoclassicism first appeared in France in the late 1750s, and was expressed in several ways before giving rise to the Empire style.

Extending beyond the Imperial period proper (1804-1815) and drawing its inspiration from the model of Antiquity, the Empire style was the culmination of trends that had emerged shortly before the Revolution and continued into the Directoire and Consulate styles. The imperial era also saw the return of an art form that could be described as official, expressed in the quest for the solemnity and grandeur so dear to the Emperor. All art forms participated in this movement, which was particularly marked in the complementary fields of interior decoration and the decorative arts.

Through a wealth of illustrations, this book by Yves Carlier, General Curator of Heritage and Deputy Director of the Museum at the Château de Versailles, sets out to explain the different phases and expressions of this style.