Atena Gallery

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The Transition style (1765-1775)

The term Transition refers to the stylistic evolution which, in the second half of Louis XV's reign and the very beginning of Louis XVI's reign, is characterized by the abandonment of the curves and movement of the Romanesque style
The Bargueño, a 17th-century Spanish cabinet

A Bargueño is a type of Spanish writing cabinet ("escritorio") that appeared at the beginning of the 15th century. However, the term was only coined in 1872 by Juan Facundo Riaño, a Spanish art historian
Travelogue about Japanese Arts and Crafts

We've just returned from a long trip to Japan, a country where we lived almost 30 years ago—an eternity! We had to go back to the place where we met. Where it all began, where our
Art Deco, the modernity of the Roaring Twenties

Who hasn't dreamed of having a drink in a sublime Art Deco setting, as if they were living in The Great Gatsby? Often considered the emblematic aesthetic of the Roaring Twenties, Art Deco is..
An incredible acquisition: "Voyage de la Sainte Famille en Egypte" by Georges Och

Georges Och, a largely unknown figure. Georges Och was a French landscape painter, born in 1798. To this day, little is known about the life and work of this artist who moved in the circles of..
French silverware in the 19th century

From 1820 to 1890, French goldsmithing was characterized by eclecticism and a taste for the most varied styles. From the neoclassical rigor of the Empire period to the bursts of fantasy of the Romantic era and the na
An exceptional set of Empire-style mahogany furniture

A set of Empire-style furniture in mahogany and mahogany veneer with chased and gilt bronze mounts. It includes a large dining table, a set of 12 gondola-back chairs, and a
Edition Bronzes in 19th Century France

Edition bronze: a social phenomenon. Small-scale sculpture or edition bronze is a surprising phenomenon due to its scale and the variety of technological and commercial means employed
The French clock

From the late 18th century onwards, artists rebelled against classical rigidity and the cult of ideal beauty, expressing their preference for more realistic subjects, closer to their own time
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..
Customer reviews

"Naomi was great and very responsive. Delivery was much quicker than anticipated and my fixture arrived perfectly packed without any damage. The piece itself is gorgeous! I'm very happy with my...
The folding screen, from its origins in Asia to 19th-century salons

The folding screen, this versatile decorative element, has spanned centuries, bringing a touch of elegance and functionality to interiors. From ancient China to 19th-century salons, the folding screen..
Wallpaper panorama by Zuber & Cie: a view of 19th-century America - SOLD

In the history of interior design, few works are as spectacular and refined as the panoramic wallpapers from the Zuber & Cie factory. These monumental decorations, the fruits
The fêtes galantes in the era of Louis XV

You've surely seen them before, on porcelain, canvas, or even tapestry, these charming little couples courting each other in the countryside. But who are they? Why are they sitting right there?
The Empire style cylinder desk

The cylinder desk, also known as a "secretary" desk, is a piece of furniture for storage and writing which, as we will see, experienced a resurgence in popularity during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, which corresponds to the period of
Mercier Frères Transition Style Commode

The Transition style: historical landmarks. The Transition style covers the period from 1750 to 1774 and refers to the stylistic evolution that, in the second half of the reign of Louis XV and at the very beginning of the 19th century..
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
Jacob Petit and Paris porcelain

In the 1830s, while Parisian decorators and porcelain manufacturers provided designs that perpetuated the neoclassical vocabulary, Jacob Petit (1796-1868) challenged tradition by proposing
The Napoleon III style (1852-1870)

A period of decadence, the Second Empire (1852-1870) sought to impose prestige through pomp, festivities, and luxury, in contrast to the bourgeois reign of the discreet Louis-Philippe. The Napoleon III style is the
Libraries and display cases, or the art of presenting collections

The bookcase as a storage unit. The bookcase is a piece of furniture designed for storing books that appeared in England at the end of the 16th century, a little over a century before France where they were first introduced
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 Louis-Philippe style (1830-1848)

Beginning at the end of the Restoration (1830), the reign of Louis-Philippe continued until the Revolution of 1848 when Parisian revolts forced him to abdicate and go into exile. The new