Under the reign of Napoleon, the decorative arts found a new vigour: furniture and objects were adorned with simple, strong images taken from ancient mythology that go well beyond the purely decorative. By tackling the question of the signification of ornamentation during the Empire, the Museum of Decorative Arts challenges the preconceived images of napoleonic symbols, often resumed in the collective consciousness to emblems of political power. The exhibition invites the visitor to look upon these images - from the eagle to the butterfly, from the laurel leaf to the crown of flowers, from the sphinx to the swan - in a new way, revealing a different side of power; the power of seduction.

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The particularly rich collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts is combined with numerous exhibits on loan from important French collections such as those of the Châteaux of Fontainbleau, Malmaison, Versailles and Compiègne, the ceramics museum at Sèvres and the national Legion of Honour museum in order to compare the different images of Napoleon's regime.

250 objects are presented: furniture, fine metalwork, ceramics, textiles and wallpaper are presented in the Grand Nave of the Museum of Decorative Arts in a scenography designed by Philippe Renaud.
Hotel Paris
Hotel Paris
Hotel Paris
Hotel Paris

Here's all the essential information for the exhibition Napoléon - Symboles des pouvoirs sous l'Empire at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris

When: 3rd April - 5th October 2008
Where: Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 107 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1st arrondissement. Métro Palais-Royal (lines 1 & 7)
Opening hours: Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm, weekends 10am - 6pm. Closed Mondays
Admission: adults 8 euros, concession 6 euros. Under 18s go free
Official site: here
But I don't speak French!: guided visits in foreign languages can be arranged in advance (go and see them). They cost 125 euros for a maximum of 25 people, and entrance tickets must also be bought for each person in the group.


Bigger map here