The Empire style, which takes its name from the First Empire overseen by Napoleon Bonaparte, is an early nineteenth-century design movement in the decorative arts and the visual arts that flourished between 1800 and 1815 during the Consulate and the First French Empire periods. Art forms from this period reflect Napoleon's desire to remake France in the image of the Roman Empire. The style corresponds politically to the Biedermeier style in the German-speaking lands, Federal style in the United States, and the Regency style in Britain.
La Madeleine
Architecture of the Empire style was based on elements of the Roman Empire and its many archaeological treasures, which had been rediscovered starting in the eighteenth century. The style was considered to have "liberated" and "enlightened" architecture just as Napoleon "liberated" the peoples of Europe with his Napoleonic Code. One example of this symbolism lies in the Église Sainte-Marie Madeleine in Paris (Church of St. Mary Magdalene). Although this building is a church, it more closely resembles a classical temple, combining elements from ancient Greece (origin of democracy and Western philosophy) and Rome (a republic turned empire). It was designed in its present form as a temple to the glory of Napoleon's army.
Pierre-Alexandre Vignon. L'Église Sainte-Marie Madeleine (1807-28)
This temple to Napoleon's army combines elements from ancient Greek and Roman temples.
Vendôme Column
The Vendôme Column, located in the Place de la Vendôme in Paris, was started in 1806 at Napoleon's direction and completed in 1810. It was modeled after Trajan's Column, to celebrate the victory of Austerlitz. However, while Trajan's Column was sculpted from marble, the veneer the Vendôme Column consists of of 425 spiraling bas-relief bronze plates was made from cannons taken from the combined armies of Europe, according to his propaganda. A statue of Napoleon, bare-headed, crowned with laurels and holding a sword in his right hand and a globe surmounted with a statue of Victory in his left hand, was placed atop the column.
Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret. Vendôme Column. (1806)
While Bergeret designed the column, its execution was carried out by Jean-Joseph Foucou, Louis-Simon Boizot, François Joseph Bosio, Lorenzo Bartolini, Claude Ramey, François Rude, Corbet, Clodion and Henri-Joseph Ruxthiel.
Napoleon's Throne
Napoleon's throne, on which he sits in a famous portrait by J.-A.-D. Ingres, consists of blue cushions and gilded armrests ending in ivory balls. As seen in the portrait, the circular back framed the emperor's head like a halo or sun ray, reminiscent of a section of Jan Van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece (housed in the Louvre) depicting God the Father. Encircling the N on the arm of the throne is a laurel crown, symbols of victory in Imperial Rome.
Throne of Napoleon
The circular back, ornate decoration, and the emperor's first initial encircled by a laurel crown combine to turn this piece of furniture into an object of propaganda.
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Napoleon I on His Imperial Throne (1806)
The gilded trim of Napoleon's throne circle's the emperor's head.