Napoleon III was the Emperor of France from 1852 to 1870, during which time the arts in France flourished. The Emperor had ambitious plans for the city of Paris which hadn’t been touched since the medieval times. With the aid of the public, Napoleon III set out to undertake one of the largest urban transformations since the burning of London in 1666. As the rebuilding of Paris was taking place, the Napoleon III Style was being developed in the decorative arts and the architecture of the day, which is often referred to as French Second Empire.
Napoleon III appointed Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann the Prefect of the Seine in 1853 to redesign Paris for its growing population. The Baron demolished old, over-crowded neighborhoods and created new wider roads, public parks and monuments, built an entirely new aqueduct and sewer system, along with unifying the facades of many buildings. All of these renovations were done in the new French Second Empire style.
At the same time Haussmann was destroying old neighborhoods and buildings, Eugene Viollet-le-Duc was restoring historically important medieval buildings. Viollet-le-Duc’s restorations at Notre Dame de Paris with Jean-Baptiste Lassus brought him national attention. His other main restoration work includes Mont Saint-Michel, Sainte-Chapelle, and the Chateau de Vincennes. These restorations contributed to the new landscape of Paris and contributed design elements to the Napoleon III style.
The Napoleon III style is a nineteenth century style characterized by eclecticism and a mixture of decorative elements from past styles. The style evolved from a 16th century Renaissance foundation with Baroque overtones. The Palais du Louvre’s additions during the Napoleon III reign and the building of the Palais Garnier are prime examples. Legend has it when Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, asked Court architect Charles Garnier whether the Palais Garnier under construction in 1862 would be built in the Greek or Roman style, he replied, “It’s in the Napoleon III Style, Madame!”
On June 25th, Stair Galleries will be selling a large collection of Napoleon III Decorative Arts from two important private collections. On offer will be chandeliers, sconces, cartel clocks, mantel clocks, chenets, and sculpture from a prominent Hong Kong Collector. Also included in the June 25th auction will be items from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Mamdouha and Elmer Holmes Bobst, from Manhattan and Palm Beach, who amassed a fine selection of Napoleon III items. Most notable are a pair of ormolu mounted onyx pedestals, a monumental pair of ormolu-mounted Sevres porcelain urns and a pair of Louis XVI style ormolu-mounted cobalt Sevres porcelain figural urns. Also of note are two Louis XVI style ormolu frames with enamel plaques one depicting Madame Recamier, and a pair of Napoleon III ormolu-mounted black lacquer and mother-of-pearl low tables.
For inquiries regarding the items in this sale please contact us at 518-751-1000 or info@stairgalleries.com.