Design for a Bed Alcove in Empire Style
ca. 1805–10
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown and blue wash, over graphite (recto); graphite (verso)
Dimensions
18 11/16 x 23 15/16 in. (47.4 x 60.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.670.46
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the grandeur of Napoleonic France with this anonymous French design for a bed alcove in the Empire style, created around 1805–10. The Empire style, championed during Napoleon Bonaparte's reign, drew from ancient Roman and Egyptian motifs to symbolize imperial power and luxury. This drawing captures the era's love for symmetrical, monumental furniture integrated into architectural spaces, transforming bedrooms into regal retreats. Bed alcoves like this one were fashionable in elite homes, offering privacy and drama with draped canopies, ornate chairs, and bold proportions. Rendered i...
About the Artist
Anonymous, French, 19th century · 1800–1900
**Anonymous, French, 19th Century (ca. 1800–1900)** The artist cataloged as Anonymous, French, 19th century embodies the enigmatic yet essential contributions of unidentified creators to France's vibrant 19th-century art world. Active roughly between 1800 and 1900, this figure—or potentially collective workshop—produced a diverse array of works amid the nation's transition from Neoclassicism thro...