Audaces of a style: interiors under the Consulate

Was it all just an illusion under the Consulate? The period’s décor certainly bears witness to an admirable art of trompe-l’œil. Wallpapers and silks gave the impression that the walls were draped with curtains or hangings (ill. 1 and 2), while the furniture combined genuine antiques with imitations, and some painted-wood pieces looked like bronze...

The coup d’état of 18 Brumaire, Year VIII (9 November 1799) marked the beginning of relative stability. The economy recovered, society transformed, and in these two currents, artistic creation regained vitality. A new elite imposed a new taste, even if, of course, the Consular style did not suddenly begin in 1799 nor abruptly disappear in 1804. The exhibition at Château de Bois-Préau shows how it took root in the 18th century, before the Revolution, then under the Directory; how, too, it extended into the First Empire, and even beyond, as one can discern its influence in certain Art Deco creations and even in the chairs designed by Christophe Pillet for the 14 July tribune of 2000. Visitors may also enjoy guessing, in the last room, the creation date of the works before their eyes (ill. 3).

An exhibition dedicated to furniture under the Consulate may seem somewhat dull to the general public… Fear not and hurry: the curators, Élisabeth Caude and Isabelle Tamisier-Vétois, have addressed all audiences by offering a route that is both rich and clear, rigorous and appealing. From room to room, the great names of the era appear: the indispensable Charles Percier and Pierre François Léonard Fontaine, who became architects of the Tuileries in 1800 and government architects in 1801; the Jacob brothers as well, renowned cabinetmakers who furnished the entire upper class and who, in 1803, owned sixteen workshops employing 350 workers. Guillaume Biennais, admitted master cabinetmaker in 1788, took advantage of the suppression of guilds in 1791 to expand his activity into cabinetry and goldsmithing, gaining Napoleon Bonaparte’s favour. We must also mention Camille Pernon, a…