The Directoire style (1789-1804)

The profound social and political upheavals that marked this period had a direct impact on the production of Directoire furniture. The stripping down of furniture pieces, which had begun in the 1780s under the influence of Greek art, was accentuated during this period. The abolition of guilds by the revolutionaries and the disappearance of cabinetmakers forced manufacturers in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine to simplify shapes and materials.

Elegant and graceful, the furniture is generally small-scale. They retain the Louis XVI structure and are not very varied in expression. The Directoire style adopts clean shapes, straight lines, simple curves, flat surfaces and right angles. Lines accentuate geometric shapes inspired by Antiquity.

Furnishings are often made of solid wood: walnut, elm, fruitwoods and beech. Only luxury furniture is made of solid, carved mahogany, or mahogany veneer.

The Directoire table in our collection is therefore an exceptional piece. Its structure is based on that of Louis XVI tables, with the use of extensions (in the middle) and mahogany. Closed, it is round in shape, with sheathed legs on casters. Ornamentation is kept to a minimum - fillets under the belt and gilded bronze sabots. It is the structure of the piece and its lines that give it its elegance.

Painted beech furniture is very common, lacquered in shades of white, gray, pale blue or water green, enhanced by gilding or contrasting tones, often in a cameo imitating Pompeian decor.

Ebony, lemon and, more rarely, mother-of-pearl and copper inlays discreetly adorn wooden furniture. These These contrasting wood fillets replace marquetry, which has been almost completely eliminated due to labor shortages and general impoverishment. On painted furniture, inlays are imitated by simple colored fillets.

Ornamentation

Directoire ornamentation is very discreet, never invading the structure of the furniture. The absence of ornamentalists is the main reason for this sober ornamentation. Characteristic motifs of this period include :

- The diamond, carved in slight relief or painted, often surrounds a central motif such as a Greek vase , a medallion or a rose window.

- The palmette, already in use under Louis XVI, is used extensively as a frieze or entablature.

- The revolutionary and symbolic motifs - the bundles, the Phrygian cap, the oak branches, the clasped hands - symbolizing fraternity, or the triangle with an eye in the middle - a metaphor for reason - soon disappear.

- "Antique" motifs such as vases, urns, free-standing columns, winged lions, swans, griffins, winged genies, and "Renommée" holding crowns are used again and again.

The "return from Egypt" style

Towards the end of the century, a historical and cultural event enriched the Greco-Roman inspired motifs: the Egyptian expedition (1798-1801). Although Egyptian motifs were already present among the antique ornaments under Louis XVI, this time Egyptian decoration dominated, leading to a resurgence of Egyptomania or "Egyptian fashion".

Pharaonic figures support the belts of consoles or tops of pedestal tables, sphinxes, griffins and winged lions adorn the chests of drawers in gilded bronzes. Other typically Egyptian motifs such as vultures with outstretched wings complete the antique repertoire. The legs of the furniture are in the shape of a claw or a fawn's paw.

Egyptomania had a profound effect on the decorative arts and affected all categories of furniture and art objects. All these motifs are listed and spread in La Mésengère - an admirable collection of fashion caricatures, or the Journal de la Mode et du Goût, which serve as guides for furniture and decoration professionals. This Egyptian fashion continued under the Consulate and the Empire, before being rediscovered in the 1830s by the Romantic school.