Figure 10.—Later French styles (1750-1815).
New Types of Furniture.
Among the new chairs was the voyeuse (vwä-yûz), a lyre-back armless chair with the top rail upholstered as an elbow rest, and used by dandies who bestrode it backward in order not to crush the tails of their coats. Favorite beds included the sofa, usually upholstered with damask or brocade, and supporting at the four corners a light open frame bearing a small canopy; and the day bed with or without back.
During the period the tea table, breakfast table, and extension dining table, with four, six, or eight legs, came into common use.
The Directoire[11] (1795-1804) and Empire (1804-15) Styles.
After France had rid itself of royalty and aristocracy through the Revolution, under the direction of the painter David a new style was created; it was "made and molded of things past." Inspired by the classic Roman decoration, it was known at the time as the "antique" style and today is known as the Directoire. (See fig. 7.)
The Directorate was succeeded in 1799 by the Consulate, with Napoleon as First Consul, and the Consulate in 1804 by the coronation of Napoleon as Emperor. Style trends were continuous; for our purpose it is enough to discuss briefly the style known as the Empire (l'Empire).
It is of interest because of its influence upon American furniture of the Federal period.
Furniture was for the most part rectangular, massive, and architectural in design, but curvilinear in Roman and gondola chairs, and in many beds and sofas. Legs included the straight term form; round, either plain or carved; rectangular and turned outward at both front and back as in the chair illustrated (p. [59]); flat truss supports and winged chimerical figures for tables and beds. Feet included the paw, ball, scroll, often with leaf shoe.