September, 1917 
13 
HIGH LIGHTS of THE DIRECTOIRE 
The History, Psychology and Decorative Elements of a Period 
Now Coming Into Vogue and Destined for Future Popularity 
GRACE WOOD and EMILY BURBANK 
Authors of “ The Art of Interior Decoration” 
A perfect example in shape and design of a 
Directoire dinner plate. From the Cooper- 
11 ewitt Museum 
Those faggots with an axe in the center, 
which we find as motives for ornament in the 
art of both Directoire and Empire, were in¬ 
ventions of the Revolutionists, who not only 
beheaded their lovely queen, her king and 
court, but burned great works of art in the 
grounds of the royal tapestry looms. Tapes¬ 
tries were selected for destruction when their 
designs were thought to be anti-republican 
in intent or influence, and with the tapestries 
went the original drawings of the artists, 
burned and so lost forever. 
The same blind zeal prompted that record 
sale of art treasures, continuing for an entire 
year and conducted by the artist Delacroix, 
when the furnishings of the royal palaces of 
France were put under the hammer, with the 
mistaken idea that man can live by bread 
alone. Fortunately David, Art Director un¬ 
der Louis XVI, the Directoire and Napoleon, 
was chosen to set aside certain pieces of fur¬ 
niture to be held for the state. 
The ignorant and hot-headed condemnation 
and destruction of the cultured money classes 
and the decorations of their homes and per¬ 
sons, made so great an impression on the 
mass mind that it turned abruptly away from 
T HOSE who know predict that the coming 
style of interior decoration will be 
Directoire, as the term is currently under¬ 
stood by students of period work. 
The prophesy is no mere shot in the dark, 
but a thoroughly rational point of view, the 
exposition of which may be of use as well as 
interest to home-makers. 
The Directoire type belongs to the end of 
the 18th and beginning of the 19th Centuries 
(1795-1809). It represents a transition be¬ 
tween Louis XVI and First Empire, and 
therefore has characteristics of both, with a 
psychology of its own. 
To the student of periods this psychology is 
intensely interesting. The Directoire marks 
the conception and birth of the Empire style, 
which was the outcome of a chain of circum¬ 
stances: the luxury of the ruling classes un¬ 
der the Louis; the rebellion of the people; the 
Revolution; condemnation and destruction of 
luxuries and consequent reaction to simple 
living; the gradual unearthing of Pompeii 
which gave a cue to this new fashion; and 
Perier and Fontaine, architects and interior 
decorators, steeped in the art of early Rome, 
back in Paris and ready to direct and sat¬ 
isfy the craving for order and simple strength. 
Early Directoire Days 
For clearness, turn back to the early 18th 
Century. The period of the three Louis 
stands for incredible elaboration of luxurious 
house furnishings and costuming. It was the 
great period of French art for which fabulous 
sums were paid out. The French world of 
that day revolved around the idle precieux of 
the jeweled snuff-box, with whom beauty in 
any form was its own excuse. 
To supply the demands of that irrational, 
powdered and brocaded court, the genius of 
the French art world bent its back. But the 
strength of the plant was exhausted in its 
multitudinous flowering, and reaction set in. 
The Revolution was in¬ 
evitable, and the Reign of 
Terror followed. That 
being a period of national 
destruction, it can be 
credited only with certain 
symbols, suggestive of the 
Revolutionary creed, such 
as the torch and Phrygian 
helmet of freedom, taken 
from classic designs. 
silks and velvets and tapestried walls. At 
this psychological moment artist designers 
helped lead the public into new fields, flower¬ 
ing with chintz and presided over by cloud¬ 
like muslins. Indeed even during the Reign 
of Terror the art instinct of the French nation 
was so strong that although the ashes of the 
royal art treasures were still smoking, the 
Jury of Arts and Manufactures was founded. 
Hideous war had created a void which the 
French knew beauty alone could fill. The de¬ 
struction of the works of art—the vital off¬ 
spring of national genius—created a demand 
and stimulated production. Walls had to be 
covered, so Chinese painted wallpapers were 
imitated, as fittingly unostentatious. Stamped 
linens and cottons copied those of India for 
hangings and covers of furniture. 
Until the end of Louis XVI’s reign, the 
royal decorators placed all their orders with 
the silk looms of Lyons. They were under 
royal patronage. The manufacture of cot¬ 
tons and linens was discouraged. It was a time 
of trade jealousy. 
The Flair for Simplicity 
A fashion for simplicity was started in 
France by Marie Antoinette with her moods 
for playing at farming and donning a muslin 
frock. In time the king protected the paper 
manufacture and later the linen looms at Jouy 
near Versailles. 
It was Louis XVI who did away with the 
law against making paper in large sheets. 
The silk men had wished no rivals, and until 
then only boxes and books could be covered 
with paper. 
When, during the Directorate and Consul¬ 
ate, the women took to wearing sheer muslins 
imported from England in place of silks, 
David designed coats for the men, and neck¬ 
cloths in place of lace jabeaux. You will see 
in the old portraits and prints that the women 
adopted the same fashion later and went in for 
redingotes with immense 
collars, lapels and cuffs. 
With chapeaux a la mil- 
itaire they did honor to 
the army. The Directoire 
gowns, shoes and hair 
were a la Grecque and so 
were their wearers’ man¬ 
ners and morals — a sort 
of “pagan naturalness.” 
A Directoire carbeille de mar¬ 
riage—the gift of the bridegroom- 
elect, a silver dish and plate 
The essence of the Directoire is crystalized in David’s portrait of Madame Recamier, One of two bronze andirons used 
the great beauty under Louis XVI, the Directorate and Napoleon. The sofa, cush- in an Empire room but appro- 
ions and lamp are perfect examples. Madame’s costume is a la Grecque priate with Directoire 
