Empire (style)

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The Empire Style, sometimes considered as the second phase of Neoclassicism, with its early phase called the Adam style in Great Britain and Louis Seize, or Louis XVI, in France, is an early-19th century design movement in architecture, furniture and other decorative arts, and the visual arts that takes its name and originates from Napoleon's rule of France, known as the First French Empire. As it was intended to idealize Napoleon's leadership and magnify the increasing stature of the French state, the Empire style was created by French designers who drew heavily for their inspiration on symbols and ornamental designs borrowed from the glorious empires of ancient Greece and Rome. As such, French Empire became a state-sponsored design movement that soon spread to and affected every field of aesthetics, most notably in architecture in such grandiose Neoclassical structures as the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, Vendome Column, and La Madeleine, which were built in Paris to emulate the famous edifices of Imperial Rome. In the decorative and visual arts as well, the Empire style soon dominated virtually every area as a stirring metaphor for a nation's prestige and ambitions.

Before and after Napoleon's downfall, the style was adopted in many other countries of Europe, as well as in the United States. It took particular root in Imperial Russia, where it was used to celebrate the victory over Napoleon in such memorial structures as the Russian Admiralty, Kazan Cathedral, Alexander Column, and Narva Gate. The Stalinist architecture is sometimes referred to as Stalin's Empire style.

The style survived in Italy longer than in most of Europe, partly because of its Imperial Roman associations, partly because it was revived as a national style of architecture following the unification of Italy in 1870. Mario Praz wrote about this style as the Italian Empire.

In the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States, the Empire style was adapted to local conditions and gradually acquired further expression as the Egyptian Revival, Greek Revival, Biedermeier style, Regency style, and late-Federal style.

Napoleon's throne	Chair from the Louvre	Napoléon's room at Fontainebleau	Horloge
Fontainebleau	Table	A room in Palacio Real	A typical detail of furniture

[edit] See also

• 1795-1820 in fashion
• American Empire style
• Federal architecture
• Neo-Grec, the late Greek Revival style

Revival styles in 19th-century architecture
Neo-Classicism:	Directoire and Empire • Regency • Egyptian Revival • Greek Revival and Neo-Grec
Neo-Romanesque and Byzantine Revival:	Richardsonian Romanesque • Russo-Byzantine • Muscovite Revival
Gothic Revival:	Scottish Baronial • Tudorbethan • Moorish Revival • Indo-Saracenic
Neo-Renaissance:	Italianate • Second Empire • Châteauesque • Jacobethan
Neo-Baroque and 18th century:	Beaux-Arts • Wrenaissance • Queen Anne • Georgian Revival • Colonial Revival