Meuble d'appui - Rosewood - Console, Faubour

Furniture / console, Faubourg St Honoré, palorosa wood, marble and mirror, Napoleon III, 19th century - France. Signed

Exquisite and refined French console in the Napoleonic III style and period, made of palorosa wood, marble, and mirror. Signed
Tall, slender, light-side cabinet with a wavy silhouette. Under the marble top, three small registers laid out horizontally and edged with marquetry. High, narrow legs, straight but ending in cabriole. Ornamented with hardware and sabots. The marble top of the upper part has moulded edges, while the lower part serves as an extra low shelf. Both in earth tones, ranging from reddish to beige. The sides are open, and a large mirror occupies the back of the piece, giving visual lightness and helping to visually increase the space’s illumination where it is placed. Perfect for an entryway, as a console or for the living room.

Signed and numbered “H 4535”, from a prestigious cabinet-making workshop located in the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré area, an emblematic part of Paris. Historically it has been considered one of the most elegant streets in the world, housing some of the most exclusive workshops, headquarters and shops. Examples: at number 55 is the Palace of the Élysée, originally Hôtel d'Évreux, completed and decorated in 1722; used by Napoleon’s government from 1808; today it is the official residence of the President of France. At number 24, Hermès flagship store, founded in 1837 and located there since 1880. At number 56: offices of the French edition of Vogue in the Condé Nast Publications Building; in addition to several luxury hotels and well-known brands.

Style and period Napoleon III or Second Empire

The Napoleon III style or Second Empire is named because it originated in France at that time. Strictly, the Second Empire was proclaimed in 1852 and ended in 1870, led by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte as Emperor of the French, though in the artistic sense it extends a few years longer (until 1880). This style was highly embraced by the French bourgeoisie. The Emperor himself was involved in the artistic development of the moment, though more linked to architecture. However, it is to Empress Eugenie that the evolution of the decorative arts is attributed.

Although inspired by past styles, starting from Classical Antiquity, the Renaissance, even in Louis XVI, which Eugenie especially loved, the most representative feature of the style is opulence and ostentation, always aspiring to display wealth and grandeur.

It is not a style designed specifically for the Second Empire, but a revival of the major French styles from previous centuries, a kind of compilation of French decorative trends. It pays special reference to Louis XIV, Louis XV, the Baroque and Rococo, and gradually Louis XVI, with an eclectic base. In short, the decorative styles that had positioned France at the forefront of interior design and furniture in Europe, both for quality and for originality and beauty.

Workshop: Faubourg St Honoré
Style: Napoleon III
Materials: Palorosa wood, marble, mirror, and hardware
Period: Late 19th century
Country of origin: France
Good condition considering age and use / Marble top with small damages that do not affect the overall view of the piece
Dimensions: 100 x 138 x 47 cm.

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