Schumacher’s Colmery Paisley wallpaper panels—a neutral take on a favorite 19th-century motif—bring a sense of history to a Hudson Valley dining room.
PIETER ESTERSOHNIn the mid 19th century, France embraced a renaissance of opulence and craftsmanship under the rule of Napoleon III, putting a baroque, saturated spin on neoclassical style—and setting the stage for the highly stylized designs of the Art Nouveau era to come. Schumacher’s new collection, Le Max, draws from that period to bring a sense of Second Empire elegance to 21st-century living.
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The deep hues of Sylvain Floral Stripe are quintessentially Second Empire.
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La Rue Stripe is a dead ringer for a 19th-century document.
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Curtains in Colmery Paisley Panel fabric evoke a Kashmir shawl.
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Auguste Stripe covers an antique Napoleon III chair from Schumacher.
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Apolline Botanical wallpaper nods to the European craze for Indian chintzes
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Hubert’s Bees wallpaper celebrates the symbol of Napoleon I and III.
PIETER ESTERSOHN
The deep hues of Sylvain Floral Stripe are quintessentially Second Empire.
PIETER ESTERSOHNLa Rue Stripe is a dead ringer for a 19th-century document.
PIETER ESTERSOHNCurtains in Colmery Paisley Panel fabric evoke a Kashmir shawl.
PIETER ESTERSOHNAuguste Stripe covers an antique Napoleon III chair from Schumacher.
PIETER ESTERSOHNApolline Botanical wallpaper nods to the European craze for Indian chintzes
PIETER ESTERSOHNHubert’s Bees wallpaper celebrates the symbol of Napoleon I and III.
PIETER ESTERSOHNSECOND EMPIRE STYLE
The reign of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870 saw an eclectic mix of styles—Gothic, Renaissance, Louis XV and XVI—revived and reimagined for the industrial age. The advent of synthetic aniline dyes allowed for deeper textile colors, increased cast- iron production made it a popular material for everything from beds to guéridons, and new tufting techniques resulted in luxuriously padded seating.
Giuseppe Castiglione, Empress Eugénie in the Salon at the Tuileries, 1868.
Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty ImagesArtists like Franz Xaver Winterhalter and Alfred-Émile-Léopold Stevens captured this mood shift in their paintings, depicting women wrapped in lush Kashmir shawls, upholstery trimmed with tassels and bullion fringe, and richly lacquered ebony wood.
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Hippolyte Flandrin, Portrait of Napoleon III, 1861.
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Alfred-Émile-Léopold Stevens, Departing for the Promenade (Will You Go Out with Me, Fido?), 1859.
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Alfred-Émile-Léopold Stevens, The Visit, 1869.
Dallas Museum of Art/Brad Flowers
SEE MORE FROM SCHUMACHER’S LE MAX COLLECTION
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Iyla Embroidery
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Sylvain Floral Stripe
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Apolline Botanical
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Leonie Vermicelli
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 12 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
