From 1798 to 1801, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded the Ottoman territories of Egypt and Syria. After his Egyptian campaign of 1798-1799, artists and scientists were employed to catalogue the sights and discoveries found in Egypt. Publication of the expedition's work, the Description de l'Egypte, began in 1809 and caused a wave of Egyptomania across France.
The Empire style is the elaborate Neoclassical style of Napoleon's First Empire (1804-1815). Roman-inspired symbols, decoration, and architecture were part of an ambitious scheme to relate Napoleon to the Roman Emperor Augustus, as the French government was transformed from a republic into an empire. The wave of Egyptomania in France after Napoleon's Egyptian campaign, led to the incorporation of Egyptian motifs such as the sphinx, pyramids, and the scarab, in furniture and the decorative arts of the Empire Style.
Napoleon, a new home decor collection based on WGSN’s New Heritage trend for A/W 21/22, was inspired by the Empire Style; a blend of classic European, Roman, Greek, and Egyptian motifs such as elaborate scrolled motifs, fleur de lis, wings, sun symbols, and the scarab. An oil pastel technique was used to create soft edges, subtle blends, and a hand-drawn feel.
Napoleon is available for purchase or licensing. To see the entire collection, request a password to the Design Gallery!