The French Revolution was the period of political upheaval in France that began in 1789, overthrew the monarchy and led eventually to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. Its effects on the decorative arts were profound, bringing to an end the luxurious court culture of the ancien régime and transforming the way furniture and objects were made, sold and styled.
The guild system that had regulated Parisian craftsmen was abolished in 1791, ending the requirement for cabinetmakers to stamp their work. After the execution of Louis XVI, much royal furniture from Versailles and other palaces was sold at auction, and a considerable amount was acquired by English collectors and dealers, which explains why fine French furniture survives in British country houses and collections. Revolutionary ideals encouraged simpler, severe neoclassical forms, leading to the Directoire style and then the Empire style. Patriotic symbols such as the Phrygian cap, fasces and tricolour cockades appeared on ceramics and textiles, and the short-lived decimal time system produced rare ten-hour clock dials. For collectors, revolutionary-period provenance can be significant, and understanding these changes helps in dating French furniture and explaining why stamped pieces are rarer after this time.
