Style Napoléon III
The Napoleon III style also called Second Empire style can be summed up in one word: abundance – abundance of inspiration, profusion of materials and a wealth of décor.
The décor is the strong point of this period. It was abundant, always using exquisite quality of materials, with plenty of furnishings and fabrics. Second Empire designers loved grand interior architecture elements. The focal points of rooms were fireplace mantels, mirrors, candelabras, sconces and chandeliers. Atlantes and caryatids were symbols of used and were synonymous of luxury.
Under Empress Eugenie’s influence,
Louis XVI style furnishings and more
precisely the furniture inspired by
Marie-Antoinette were all in fashion. This
style is often called “Louis XVI-
Imperatrice”.
In general, the Napoleon III style is
characterized by exuberant shapes, a profusion of
decorative motifs, and a naturalism in the
representation of human figures – such as those
created by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, the sculptor
famous for the Dance figure on the Paris Opera.
In the reign of Napoleon III, the city of Paris was transformed by the urbanisation work of the baron Haussmann. The development of investment property changed the city’s architecture. Architects and decorators could develop their talent and let their imagination flow.
