View source for Directoire style

{{Short description|Arts style of the French Directory (1795–1799)}}
[[File:Portrait de madame de Verninac by David Louvre RF1942-16 n2.jpg|thumb|''[[Madame Raymond de Verninac]]'' by [[Jacques-Louis David]], with clothes and chair in Directoire style. "Year 7", that is 1798–99.]]
[[File:Portrait of Madame Tallien Jean-Bernard Duvivier 1806.jpg|thumb|Portrait of [[Thérésa Tallien]] by [[Jean-Bernard Duvivier]] (1806) at the [[Brooklyn Museum]]]]
'''Directoire style''' ({{IPA|fr|diʁɛktwaʁ|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-directoire.wav}}) was a period in the decorative arts, fashion, and especially furniture design in France concurrent with the [[French Directory|Directory]] (November 2, 1795–November 10, 1799), the later part of the [[French Revolution]]. The style uses [[Neoclassicism|Neoclassical]] architectural forms, minimal carving, planar expanses of highly grained veneers, and applied decorative painting. It is a style transitional between [[Louis XVI style|Louis XVI]] and [[Empire style|Empire]].

The Directoire style was primarily established by the architects and designers [[Charles Percier]] (1764–1838) and [[Pierre François Léonard Fontaine|Pier François Léonard Fontaine]] (1762–1853). In its use of Neoclassical architectural form and decorative motifs the style anticipates the slightly later and more elaborate [[Empire style]], which was introduced after [[Napoleon]] established the [[First French Empire]].

The Directoire style reflected the Revolutionary belief in the values of [[Roman Republic|republican Rome]]: <blockquote>"The [[stoicism|stoic]] virtues of Republican Rome were upheld as standards not merely for the arts but also for political behaviour and private morality. ''Conventionels'' saw themselves as antique heroes. Children were named after [[Brutus]], [[Solon]] and [[Lycurgus of Sparta|Lycurgus]]. The festivals of the Revolution were staged by [[Jacques-Louis David]] as antique rituals.  Even the chairs in which the committee of ''Salut Publique'' sat were made on antique models devised by David.... In fact Neo-classicism became fashionable".<ref>Honour, 171</ref></blockquote>

==Furniture== 
[[File:Couven Directoire-Zimmer 1.jpg|thumb|''Directoire'' room at the [[Couven Museum]]]]
The sources of inspiration are [[Etruscan art|Etruscan]], [[Roman art|Roman]] and [[Louis XVI style]]. The main decorative [[Motif (visual arts)|motifs]] are: classical vases, carved [[urn]]s, arrows, [[winged lion]]s, dragons, mermaids, female busts and [[sphinx]]es.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ecaterina Oproiu|first1=Tatiana Corvin|title=Enciclopedia căminului|date=1975|publisher=Editura științifică și enciclopedică|page=44|language=ro}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter|Jacob-Desmalter]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{Cite book |last=Abbott |first=James Archer |title=Jansen Furniture |publisher=Acanthus Press |location=New York |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-926494-45-9}}
* [[Hugh Honour|Honour, Hugh]], ''Neo-classicism. Style and Civilisation'' 1968,(Reprinted 1977)
* {{Cite book |last1=Pegler |first1=Martin M |last2=Carboni |first2=Ron |publisher=[[Fairchild Fashion Group]] |location=New York |title=The Fairchild Dictionary of Interior Design |isbn=978-1-56367-444-0 |edition=2nd |year=2006}}

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[[Category:Architectural styles]]
[[Category:French architectural styles]]
[[Category:Decorative arts]]
[[Category:Art movements]]
[[Category:History of furniture]]
[[Category:Neoclassical architecture in France]]
[[Category:French Directory]]