Period Styles (part 5 of 6)

Empire

A form of late Neoclassicism, the Empire style dominated European furniture design in the first half of the 19th century, originating in France under Napoleon.

The style was inspired not only by ancient Greece and Rome, but also by ancient Egypt. 

Rectilinear forms took on grand proportions and were often embellished with brass and gilt mounts, or with sumptous fabrics.

Designers used architectural elements such as pediments and columns, on case pieces and sabre or splayed legs on seating.

Popular motifs included swags, laurels, and medallions, as well as sphinxes and Napoleon's personal emblems: the crown and the bee.

The furniture, now antique furniture, style directly influenced the Regency style in Britain, the Empire style in the United States, and the Biedermeier style in Germany.

Biedermeier

Biedermeier was a more restrained version of the Empire style of antique furniture and was developed in Germany, Austria and Sweden during the first half of the 19th century.

Principally a middle-class interpretation of the high French style, Biedermeier furniture was simple, classical, comfortable and practical.

The majority of pieces were rectilinear, and Classical motifs and the sabre leg were common features.

Although many pieces were made from mahogany, light-coloured native woods such as walnut, cherry, birch, pear and maple were also used, often punctuated with ebonized highlights.

Biedermeier furniture was visibly hand-crafted, adding to its homely appeal. Chairs and sofas were usually upholstered in pale fabrics to match the overall light colour schemes that were a prominent feature of Biedermeier interiors.

Art Nouveau

This decorative style of fitted and non fitted furniture flourished in Europe, particularly France and Belgium, at the turn of the 20th century.

In a reaction against the historical revivals of the mid 19th century, designers sought to create a 'new art'.

The style was characterized by sinuous, asymmetrical lines and was primarily inspired by nature, although there were variations from one Country to another.

It echoed many of the decorative motifs of the Rococo style 200 years before and was also influenced by Japanese art.

Art Deco

Coined in the 1960's, 'Art Deco' is a term used to describe a decorative style that blossomed at the end of World War One.

Essentially of French origin, and inspired by influences as diverse as Neoclassicism, the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb, and Cubism, Art Deco furniture was large, geometric and sumptuously decorated.

Typical motifs included stylized sunbursts, chevrons and abstract geometric patterns.

Art Deco also developed in Central Europe, the Far East and the United States, where streamlined pieces were particularly successful.

Modernism

Pioneered by the Bauhaus School in Germany in the wake of World War One, Modernism was a rejection of all historical styles.

Expressed initially through architecture, the movement spread , and furniture designers embraced manufacturing processes with renewed verve. 

Forms became predominantly stark, geometrical, and stripped of all ornament - being functional was all-important. Preferred materials included glass, laminated wood and tubular steel with new designs included the cantilever chair.