Empire Style Side Table in Walnut and Marble, France, 19th Century

Description

Gueridón / Empire Style side table, Walnut and marble, 19th century. XIX – France

Elegant coffee table or French gueridon … more Gueridón / Empire Style side table, Walnut and marble, 19th century. XIX – France

Elegant coffee table or French gueridon in Empire style, although it can also be used as a work or dining table. Made of walnut root wood and green marble with a bright white vein. Excellent quality, preserved in great condition. Marble top made of a single piece and rigorously circular. Simple structure, it has three legs with a circular section that refer to the shape of a column, joined by a kind of triangular chamber that reinforces the structure. It is an original and unique piece, acquired from a private French collection. This style is characterized by straight, majestic and massive lines, with the intention of transmitting the greatness of the French nation to the world. The emperor tried to use art to assert his political power.

French Empire Style (1804-1830)
The French Empire style is inserted within Neoclassicism, a reaction that emerged at the end of the 18th century against the Baroque and Rococo styles. It has as its antecedent the so-called Directory style, with which it shares many of its formal characteristics. This reaction is inspired by classical art, inspired in turn by the study of classical antiquity and the archaeological excavations that were taking place at that time in Rome, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum\. as well as by the aesthetic theories of Winckelmann and the development of the study of Egyptian culture, which became fashionable at that time in France due to Napoleon's campaigns in Egypt.
The dating of this style corresponds to the years in which Napoleon was appointed consul (1799-1804) and emperor of France, as Napoleon I Bonaparte (1804), until his defeat at Waterloo (1815). However, in terms of furniture, the style lasted for about 15 more years, until the 1830s, until the Restoration period (return of the Bourbon dynasty).

from France, the Empire style spread throughout the rest of Europe, occupying different names. It greatly influenced the Regency style of the United Kingdom, but also reached Germany, Italy (Italian Empire style), Spain, although somewhat later (Fernandino style), Sweden, or even Russia.
As for the formal, the Empire style is committed to the majestic, but always with elegance and a return to classic symmetry. It is a return to classic forms, based on straight lines and horizontal planes, where geometry takes on vital importance. Furniture from this period is somewhat austere, with straight lines and flat surfaces. He also preferred flat bronze decorations, often gilded, to the refined carvings of previous years.
In short, it represents the greatness of the Napoleonic regime, equating itself with the Empire of Alexander the Great, that of Julius Caesar, or even Pharaoh Ramses II.

Style: Empire
Materials: Mahogany, marble
Period: 19th century
Country of origin: France
Good condition according to its age and use
Overall dimensions: 69 x 92 x 92 cm.
Envelope dimensions: 92 x 92 x 1.7 cm.
Foot dimensions: 58 cm. less