Empire 1796-1815

The Empire style dominated throughout Europe from 1796 to 1815. Napoleon’s conquests extended the boundaries and holdings of France. He had conquered the kingdoms of Italy, Sicily, Spain, Holland, and the Rhine Confederacy. His influence also spread indirectly to independent nations such as England, Russia, Sweden, and Austria. The great families of Europe were eager to emulate the example of the Napoleonic Court and the imperial nobility. Napoleon, who saw himself as a new Caesar, chose the monumental styles of Imperial Rome, and was obeyed implicitly by his architects and furniture designers, Percier and Fontaine, who became the dictators of Empire fashion. Austria was directly affected by the Empire style after 1810, the year of the marriage of Napoleon to the Archduchess of Austria, Marie-Louise, oldest daughter of Austria’s Emperor Franz I. After dissolving his childless marriage to Josephine, Napoleon sought a new wife of royal blood who could bear him the long-awaited heir. Marie-Louise became that wife.

Literature: Empire. Madeleine Deschamps. Photography by Fritz von der Schulenburg. Abbeville Press, New York, 1994.

Biedermeier 1815-1848

The Biedermeier period lasted from the fall of Napoleon in 1815 until the Industrial Revolution of 1848. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna took place. Austria, Prussia, Russia, Britain, and France exiled Napoleon to St. Helena and established a new order in Europe- that of control and censorship in order to suppress another revolution. This repressive climate under Chancellor Metternich led to a more private lifestyle. Biedermeier society turned inward toward the domestic environment, creating a demand for refined furniture and decorative objects; the home was considered an idyllic refuge from the outside world. As the middle class gained in wealth and education, the tastes of the middle class and the aristocracy began to overlap. The domestic environment reflected a society in which privileged aristocrats and bourgeois gentlemen often lived in similar circumstances, tempered by the extent of one’s personal wealth. Delicate furniture, exotic textiles and masterful works of silver and porcelain incorporate both classical and romantic ideals. These refined ideals were prevalent in other arts as well, as the period fostered such geniuses as Schubert and Beethoven. The term Biedermeier was coined in the late 19th century, after a fictitious poet. The name is taken from the word bieder, meaning unpretentious, and Meier, which is a common surname. Biedermeier furniture is characterized by its elegant, clean lines and functional form. The pieces tend to be small in scale, the forms graceful, elegant and devoid of carving or excessive embellishment. Attraction is focused on the four to six-hundred year-old woods used to create beautiful veneers. These walnut, cherry, mahogany, birch, and ash veneers act as the main decorative element in the pieces of furniture. The surface of the veneer can be thought of as a canvas which permits the grain of the wood to speak for itself. The most renowned craftsman of the period was Josef Danhauser. A collection of approximately 2,500 designs from his workshop is now exhibited in the Oesterreichisches Museum fur Angewandte Kunst. Today, Biedermeier furniture is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. The period is increasingly recognized as an important step into Modernism and graces many modern interiors. Its petite scale works exceptionally well in urban apartments, and it fulfills our desire for furniture that is functional as well as beautiful.

Literature: The World of Biedermeier. Linda Chase and Karl Kemp. Photography by Louis Lammerhuber. Thames and Hudson, New York, 2001. This wonderful book may be purchased at Rita Bucheit, Ltd. for $95.00. Biedermeier. Angus Wilkie. Photography by John Hall. Abbeville Press, New York, 1987. Biedermeier to Bauhaus. Sigrid Sangl. Photography by Barbara and Rene Stoeltie. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 2000. Biedermeier: Art and Culture in Central Europe 1815-1848. Translated by Lawrence Jenkins. Skira, Milan, 2001. Published in conjunction with the exhibition of the same title, Padua, Palazzo della Ragione, 7 May – 10 September, 2000.