Empire Style Writing Set and Inkwell in Olive Root Wood and Gilt Bronze, France, Early 19th Century

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Writing Set / Inkwell, Olive Burl Wood and Gilt Bronze, Empire Style, Early 19th Century - France
Type: Writing Set … Read more Writing Set / Inkwell, Olive Burl Wood and Gilt Bronze, Empire Style, Early 19th Century - France
Type: Writing Set or Inkwell
Style: Empire
Materials: Olive Burl Wood and Gilt Bronze
Period: Early 19th Century
Country: France
Good condition considering its age and use. One inkwell and two lids are missing.
Dimensions: 5 x 27 x 14 cm.

Elegant writing set in olive burl wood with inkwells and an aged gilt bronze handle, from France, early 19th century.
It has four receptacles for inkwells or other writing utensils; one of these receptacles and the lids of three of them are missing. It also has two bronze penholders in the center. The front features a curved compartment useful for storage. Below the inkwells is a narrow drawer that opens with a handle. French Empire Style (1804-1830)
The French Empire style is part of Neoclassicism, a reaction that arose in the late 18th century against the Baroque and Rococo styles. Its antecedent was the Directoire style, with which it shares many of its formal characteristics. This reaction was inspired by classical art, itself inspired by the study of classical antiquity and the archaeological excavations taking place at that time in Rome, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, and other sites. It was also influenced by the aesthetic theories of Winckelmann and the development of the study of Egyptian culture, which became fashionable in France at that time 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 continued for about 15 more years, until the 1830s, the Restoration period (the return of the Bourbon dynasty).
from France, the Empire style spread throughout the rest of Europe, acquiring different names. It greatly influenced the Regency style in the United Kingdom, but also reached Germany, Italy (Italian Empire style), Spain, although somewhat later (Fernandine style), Sweden, and even Russia.
Formally, the Empire style favored the majestic, but always with elegance and a return to classical symmetry. It was a return to classical forms, based on straight lines and horizontal planes, where geometry took on vital importance. The furniture of this period was somewhat austere, with straight lines and flat surfaces. It also favored decorations in flat bronze, often gilded, over the refined carvings of previous years.

Ultimately, it represents the grandeur of the Napoleonic regime, comparable to the empires of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, or even Pharaoh Ramses II.

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