The "boat" bed, a French invention
In France, the bed "en bateau" was produced during the Directoire period (1795-1799), and was very fashionable during the Empire and Restoration. Its name comes from its shape, which resembles a nacelle, with its characteristic curvature and identical headboards.
The most common Directoire beds have two backrests of equal height, with columnar or baluster-shaped uprights. The back bands, quite wide for this period, curve backwards and are decorated with a rhombus. The crosspiece remains straight, however. The boat-shaped bed became increasingly popular and a common piece of furniture during the Empire. It retains the two backrests of equal height, curved outwards in the shape of a crosier or cornucopia, and connected by an equally curved crosspiece, which continues the curve of the backrests. More rarely, a single backrest may be present.
Like other pieces of furniture, the bed is imposing, majestic, a real showpiece. In bedrooms, the bed is no longer positioned perpendicular to the wall, but along the longest section of the wall. A "duchesse" bed is when the canopy covers the entire bed, and an "ange" bed is when the canopy is reduced to half the length of the bed. The "à la polonaise" bed is topped by a crown or canopy, from which curtains or net curtains fall.
The decor of the "bateau" bed under the Empire
Under the Empire, the ornamentation of bronze, which is sparingly distributed with a great concern for symmetry, is particularly remarkable. The uprights of the "boat" bed, which are quite wide, as well as the crosspiece, are decorated with gilded bronze trimmings that emphasise the structure. As this solemn decoration is meant to be seen from the front, the wall side is not decorated.
The most famous models, made by G. Jacob and other famous cabinetmakers, feature rich mythological or allegorical decorations of the highest quality, such as the example preserved at the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris, whose decoration of Love and Psyche is a variation on the theme of sleep.
Favorite motifs include the Egyptian-inspired stylized palmette, oak, laurel or ivy leaves, sometimes arranged in a crown, sphinxes, swans, dolphins, winged lions, bees, eagles, lyres, trophies and stars. All these flat or raised motifs , affixed to bed frames, are admirable for their fine chasing and precise modeling.
Boat beds in the Atena collection
The two "bateau" bed frames in our collections are top-quality models that beautifully illustrate the Empire aesthetic. At once simple and imposing, heavy and delicate, they exude a grandeur that is not devoid of beauty.
The mahogany and mahogany veneer bed, made around 1810, is an exceptional model, attributed to the famous joiner and cabinetmaker Jacob Frères. The remarkably fine bronze poppy-leaf decoration is attributed to the bronze-maker Thomire.
Georges Jacob (1739-1814), received master in 1765, was the most famous carpenter and cabinetmaker of the 18th century, and the founder of a dynasty, along with two of his sons, Georges II Jacob (1768-1803) and François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter (1770-1841), then his grandson Alphonse Jacob-Desmalter (1799-1870). From 1777 onwards, Georges Jacob became the official supplier to the Crown's furniture guard. In this capacity, he participated in the furnishing of numerous castles and royal or princely residences in France and other European countries. A specialist in seating in the 18th century, he expanded his production at the beginning of the 19th century. Very prolific, he produced many innovative pieces of furniture, notably for Versailles, Rambouillet, Saint-Cloud and Fontainebleau.
Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843), a renowned bronzemaker, chaser and foundryman, was a bronze goldsmith. The inventor of "matte" gilding, in which bronze is hot-dipped in a saline solution, Thomire became Marie-Antoinette's official supplier of silverware. But it was under the Empire that he achieved his greatest fame, creating torches, candelabras and chandeliers for imperial palaces. He also created sumptuous table tops for the Tuileries. Thomire ornamented pieces of furniture - most famously the King of Rome's cradle - and collaborated with goldsmith Claude Odiot. Stylistic details characteristic of his work can be spotted, such as the poppy leaves adorning several beds attributed to Jacob Frères and Thomire, including the "bateau" bed sold by Sotheby's in London in 2012.
Our second bed frame in mahogany and flame mahogany veneer has an even more refined decoration, covering only the main face. The finely chased bronzes are symmetrically distributed on the crosspiece and backs, and stand out against the dark wood masses. The flat motifs, of plant origin, stand out for the preciousness of their chasing. In contrast to the previous model, the crosspiece of this second bed is curved, extending the curve of the backrests, which are always of equal height, but curved outwards in the shape of a crozier.
Finally, the "à la polonaise" model is present with this majestic Empire "bateau" bed featuring a round canopy supporting striped silk curtains. Its exceptional ormolu decoration illustrates the legend of Love and Psyche, much appreciated during the Neoclassical period.
