Directoire Furniture
Formed in the wake of the Jacobin Reign of Terror’s bloody guillotine, the Directoire was established to lead France into order through the leadership of a five-member council of directors. It was brief, lasting only from 1795 to 1799, ending with Napoléon Bonaparte’s coup d’état, and was economically tumultuous. Yet it was an essential bridge between the era of Louis XVI and the elaborate Empire style that followed, with Directoire furniture and decorative arts shaped by a royal passion for classical design and an enthusiasm for postrevolutionary France.
Much of the country’s furniture production had halted during the French Revolution when the furniture guilds system was abolished, but during the Directoire period, the cabinetmakers restarted their businesses, such as François-Honoré-Georges and Jacob-Desmalter who established a new workshop called Jacob-Frères. Pieces made in walnut, elm, mahogany and other inexpensive materials incorporated influences ranging from Egypt to Pompeii, with popular forms including the curule armchair based on an ancient Roman design. The aesthetics of the transitional style were more austere than during the monarchy, with court cabinetmaker Jean-Baptiste Sené, for instance, reimagining his workshop’s neoclassical-style furniture with ungilded surfaces and a reduction of ornamentation.
Symbols referencing the revolutionary tenets of liberty, equality and fraternity were frequently carved into Directoire furnishings, such as the Phrygian cap, clasped hands and the fasces, which is an image of a bound bundle of sticks adopted from the Roman Republic, where it was seen as an emblem of strength through unity.
Elements of the French Directoire style continued through Empire style. Designers Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine are credited today as major proponents of both movements. The classically inspired furniture design is represented in pieces such as the boat-shaped daybed and the klismos chair, which endured in French interiors as well as in styles abroad, including American Directoire.
Find a collection of antique Directoire chairs, tables, daybeds, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Giltwood, Mercury Glass
Mid-20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 1800s Austrian Antique Directoire Furniture
Fir
1820s Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Fir
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Fabric, Textile, Upholstery, Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood, Paint
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Glass, Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
2010s American Directoire Furniture
Wrought Iron
1940s Unknown Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
20th Century Directoire Furniture
Fabric, Oak
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood, Paint, Paper
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
2010s American Directoire Furniture
Wrought Iron
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 1800s Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Iron
2010s North American Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Directoire Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Velvet, Maple, Paint
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
1940s Vintage Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1930s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron
1990s Italian Directoire Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Canvas, Hardwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Velvet, Maple, Paint
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood, Paint
1890s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
1910s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
1960s Unknown Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Cherry
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Velvet, Wood, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Steel, Iron
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Down, Hardwood, Leather
1790s Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Porphyry
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1980s European Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Argentine Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
1890s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble
20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Wood
1880s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze, Iron
19th Century European Antique Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze
Early 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Fabric, Beech
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Directoire Furniture
Iron
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Giltwood, Mercury Glass
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Cherry
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Canvas, Mirror, Paint
18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Textile, Wood
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Marble