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The "boat" bed, a star of the Empire era

The "boat" bed, a French invention. In France, the "boat" bed was produced during the Directory (1795-1799) and was very fashionable during the Empire and the Restoration. Its name comes from its shape..
The console: History and specific features

A console table is a tall piece of furniture resembling a half-table placed against a wall. Its original four legs are often reduced to two, and sometimes it becomes a single supporting leg
Lighting fixtures in 19th-century France

19TH-CENTURY CHANDELIERS A chandelier is a piece of furniture designed to capture light and enhance the brightness of an interior. It can already be found in the Middle Ages, made of wood and equipped with candles. (Apart from...)
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
The mirror, an iconic decorative object

The history of the first mirrors dates back to around 6000 BC. The oldest examples are made of polished stone, then later of polished metal, copper or bronze
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
Large format paintings in our collections

Large Format and History Painting: In the 19th century, painters interpreted everything related to their own time and ancient times, allegorical and mythical scenes, on large canvases
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..
1stdibs and Galerie Atena: a beautiful collaboration

Atena on online antique sales platforms: Galerie Atena benefits from a strong online presence, with virtual shops on Proantic, Selency, Vinterior, and 1stdibs. It is
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
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
How to decorate your restaurant with works of art?

Creating an inspiring space: Bars that display works of art, brasseries transformed by famous decorators, restaurants decorated by designers – brands are striving to do more and more
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
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
The different engraving and printing techniques

Engraving and printing techniques are artistic methods that allow an image to be reproduced on various media. Engraving involves incising a surface to create a raised image
The new generation Antiques Gallery

A little history... The Atena Gallery was born in the Louvre des Antiquaires, a stone's throw from the Louvre Museum, where Frédéric and Nidal Sioufi opened their first gallery in 2001. This exceptional location..
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..
How are porcelain biscuits made?

In our previous article, we explored the rich history of porcelain biscuit. This time, let's turn to the techniques used to create these exceptional objects. Before the creation..
Tips for furnishing an Empire-style living room in a castle, mansion, or luxury apartment

For over 25 years, Galerie Atena has been helping its clients decorate their interiors: castles, manor houses, beautiful homes, luxury apartments… with unique pieces, carefully restored in their original state
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
The brilliance of Baccarat crystal

Crystal is a staple on festive tables in the form of champagne coupes. However, this precious material can be used in countless ways. The Baccarat company, considered the benchmark..
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