French 19th Century Restauration Psyche Coiffeuse Mirror

About the Item

A French 19th Century Restauration Psyche Coiffeuse mirror Patinated and gilt bronze rectangular Psyche Coiffeuse Mirror designed with Greek frieze, palmettes, oves, strings of pearls, foliage scrolls and gadroons ormolu mounts Restauration Period Circa 1830. The Restauration Style (1815-1830) After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo on 18 June 1815, power in France was taken over by the two brothers of Louis XVI: the Count of Provence, who reigned as Louis XVIII (1815-1823), then the Count of Artois, known as Charles X, who ruled until 1830, when he was overthrown by the July Revolution and replaced by a new king, Louis-Philippe I (1830-1848). This period known as the Restauration (1815-1830) was primarily a reaction against the pomp and circumstance of the Empire. It imposed an elegance and refinement in furnishings and decoration that Napoleon's taste for grandeur and glamour had, in a way, obscured. But under the Restauration, it was no longer the orders of the royal family or those of rich aristocrats that set the tone. Fashion was now adapted to the needs and tastes of the new bourgeois society, which rented flats in Paris that were more or less plush and suited to fam-ily life. The concept of comfort was influenced by a certain English art of living. Regency style furniture was imported from England, particularly chests of drawers. Mahogany, con-sidered too heavy, was replaced by blond woods. Imposing furniture, decorated with bronz-es, gave way to smaller, finely cut or inlaid pieces. As in the Regency period a century earli-er, the vast rooms of the official palaces were abandoned to rediscover the charm of the in-timacy of small salons and boudoirs. But this change of style does not call into question certain essential elements of the decor, which remains deeply inspired by the previous period. Thus, the Restauration continued the neo-classical tradition cherished by Napoleon I and brought it to an unprecedented de-gree of refinement. At the same time, Romanticism sought its inspiration in an imaginary Middle Ages that combined the classical ornamentation of the decor with the rosettes, festoons and ogives of the Gothic cathedrals that were in vogue under Charles X. The ornamentation, light and very refined, underlines the structure of the furniture. The molding, abandoned under the Empire, reappears delicately on consoles, secretaries, tables and imposing furniture such as bookcases. Some decorative motifs from the Empire stye remain, but in a simplified form. Among the most used are the palmette - rounder, smaller and stylized, the cornucopia, the lyre, the swan, the star, and the dolphins. More rarely, chimeras, griffins and sea horses are found. However, Restauration motifs differ from Empire motifs in the way they are treated, much lighter and less solemn than in the previous period. Classic motifs include oves, strings of pearls, foliage scrolls, gadroons, garlands or bouquets of flowers, ribbons, and flower crowns. In addition to the allegorical motifs and antique (Amours, Psyches, Adonis, columns, pilastres, straight cornices) inherited from the previous period, Gothic motifs invaded furniture and objects, and constituted the novelty of this period. Everyday objects, from the most modest to the most luxurious, known as “à la cathédrale” or "troubadour", such as vases, clocks, torches, inkwells, flasks, and chests, are covered with details inspired by fenestration, rosettes, buttresses, arcatures, festoons, lacework, and stone belfries. Under Charles X, the "Gothic" taste was the first reaction to the ubiquitous antique style defined by Percier and Fontaine in the early 19th Century.

Dimensions:

Height: 16.15 in (41 cm)Width: 7.09 in (18 cm)Depth: 4.34 in (11 cm)

Style:

Restauration (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Bronze,Mirror,Gilt,Patinated

Place of Origin:

France

Period:

1820-1829

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1830