19th Century French Empire Style Cylinder-Top Desk

49" h x 53" w x 26" d 

19th Century French Empire cylinder-top desk with extensive ormolu bronze mounts. The desk has a leathertop and leathertop pull outs on each side.

The Napoleonic era (also known as the French Empire Era) lends its name to the late Neoclassical style that defines the artistic achievements of the time, including those of the Directory and Consulate periods. Napoleon I actively supported French industries, such as textile, porcelain, and furniture workshops, encouraging them to increase production to enhance France’s prestige. Art across all forms was used as a tool to promote his regime. Revolutionary conquests inspired both fine and decorative arts, with motifs like Fame and Victory appearing frequently. Antique forms and ornamentation, already prominent in the Louis XVI style, were fused with Napoleon’s imperial symbols, including the bee, the letter "N" framed by a laurel wreath, stars, the eagle, and Egyptian hieroglyphic motifs influenced by the Egyptian campaign. Empress Joséphine, known for her love of swans, incorporated them into the design of chair arms, curtains, carpets, and porcelain in the state rooms of her residence at Malmaison.