Categories
The Louis XVI style (1774-1790)
After the period of experimentation with the Transition style (1765-1775), the Louis XVI style emerged in the early 1770s as the elegant expression of a return to classicism, free from the rigidity of taste
Mythology in 19th Century Decorative Arts
Against the white-painted wainscoting stood eight mahogany chairs. An old piano supported, beneath a barometer, a pyramidal pile of boxes and cartons. Two tapestry armchairs flanked
Restoring a neoclassical salon: the art of reviving history, at the Château de Peyraud
“There’s something magical about restoring a castle; it’s like going back in time, room by room, to restore a space to its original splendor. At Château de Peyraud, we have…”
Art Nouveau: The pinnacle of decorative arts (1890-1914)
The Birth of Art Nouveau: The desire to create a new art, understood as a new artistic form, appeared very early, at the end of the 18th century, and preoccupied many theorists and..
Empire style ornamentation
The Empire style, a style of propaganda. At the end of the 18th century, Ancient Rome was celebrated both for its political grandeur and for what could be considered the pinnacle of its aesthetics
The Empire style (1804-1815)
The Empire style developed under the impetus of Emperor Napoleon I (1769-1821), who reigned from 1804 to 1815. The first stirrings of the Empire style can be found as early as the Directory (1795-1799), but
Cylinder secretary after Riesener
The cylinder desk: an 18th-century invention. The cylinder desk is a piece of office furniture created in the mid-18th century, during the reign of Louis XV. It has drawers and compartments made of