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 Austrian Antique Directoire Furniture
Crystal
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Linen, Wood
1990s French Directoire Furniture
Brass, Steel
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century English Directoire Furniture
Creamware
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Limestone
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
1940s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
2010s American Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Crystal, Iron
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Oak
Early 20th Century Unknown Directoire Furniture
Metal
Early 1900s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Iron
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Directoire Furniture
Wire
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Oak
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone
Mid-20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Oak
1950s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Cherry
1930s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Breccia Marble, Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
1950s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Cane, Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood, Walnut
Early 20th Century Persian Directoire Furniture
Wool
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Metal
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Steel
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone, Marble
1960s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Late 18th Century European Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Brass
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Beech
1970s Unknown Vintage Directoire Furniture
Metal
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Limestone
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone, Belgian Black Marble, Statuary Marble
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Statuary Marble