258 - Based on a design by Charles PERCIER (1764–1838) and Pierre FONTAINE (1762–1853)

Based on a design by Charles PERCIER (1764–1838) and Pierre FONTAINE (1762–1853) Fragment of a decorative motif featuring the imperial eagle. Carved stone bas-relief. First Empire period. H. 20 x W. 18 x D. 12.5 cm. Provenance Decorative element likely from the Tuileries Palace during the First Empire. History Proclaimed Emperor of the French on 28 Floréal, Year XII (May 18, 1804), Napoleon I rejected several proposals—including the lion and the elephant—and chose the eagle as the principal figure of his new coat of arms. The decree of 21 Messidor, Year XII (July 10, 1804) defined the coat of arms as follows: “Azure, an eagle in the antique style Or, perched upon a thunderbolt of the same color.” Drawn directly from the repertoire of ancient Rome, this emblem is part of the Neoclassical movement that dominated the turn of the 19th century and drew both its themes and forms from antiquity. Among the leading figures of this movement, the architects Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine made a decisive contribution to establishing its aesthetic vocabulary and laid the foundations for the Empire style. Deeply influenced by their stays in Italy, they developed an ornamental repertoire there, enriched by their study of antiquity. Quickly recruited into Napoleon’s service, they were entrusted with the most prestigious projects of the Consulate and the Empire: the design of the facades on Rue de Rivoli, the decorations for the coronation, and the renovation of the Louvre and the Tuileries. There they deployed a decorative language rich in symbols, featuring the new imperial emblems intended to embody the sovereign’s power, foremost among which was the eagle. As evidenced by several of their projects (ill. 1 and 2), this motif appears throughout the iconographic program conceived by the two artists. It occupies a special place at the Tuileries, the Emperor’s official residence, where it serves as a major monumental decorative motif. Thus, in the second and third designs for the Throne Room, the lions originally planned were replaced by eagles (ill. 3). Jupiter’s bird permeates the entire palace, even its most private spaces, such as the Emperor’s bedroom, whose ceiling—designed by Percier and Fontaine—is lavishly adorned with eagles (ill. 4). Our fragment likely forms part of this decorative program for the Tuileries. Set ablaze in May 1871 during the Paris Commune, the palace was demolished in 1883 and its remains were scattered. The few surviving elements now serve as precious testimonies to the magnificence of this vanished residence. Related Works - Charles Percier, Design for a door relief, circa 1807, Paris, Musée du Louvre, inv. RF 34545, Front (ill. 1). - Charles Percier, Study sheet: decorative frieze, decorative elements, column base, 1809, Paris, Louvre Museum, inv. RF 30632 (ill. 2). - Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, Second design for the Throne Room at the Tuileries Palace, 1804, Paris, Louvre Museum, inv. RFML.AG.2021.20.2 (ill. 3). - Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, Ceiling of the Emperor’s Bedroom at the Tuileries Palace, line engraving, plate 54 from *Recueil de décorations intérieures*, published by the authors, 1812, Paris (ill. 4). Bibliography - Garric, Jean-Philippe (ed.), Charles Percier (1764–1838). Architecture and Design, Éditions de la Réunion des musées nationaux-Grand Palais, 2017, Paris. - Percier, Charles, and Fontaine, Pierre, *Recueil de décorations intérieures*, printed by P. Didot l’aîné, 1812, Paris. - Percier, Charles, and Fontaine, Pierre, *The Complete Works of Percier and Fontaine*, Princeton Architectural Press, 2018, New York. - Sarmant, Thierry (ed.), Napoleon’s Lost Palaces: The Tuileries, Saint-Cloud, Meudon, In Fine / Mobilier national, 2021, Paris.