Le style Empire. L’hôtel de Beauharnais à Paris

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Even though the history of this building is very interesting, what makes this book so special is that it deals with its interior and furniture… On top of a detailed tour of the main rooms, texts complete the essential information shared on this revered Empire style — decorative paintings, Empire furniture, fabrics and garniture, among other things.

Authors: Jörg Eberling, Ulrich Leben, Francis Hammond

Publishing House: Flammarion

Publication Date: October 2016

This book is the first major monograph devoted to the Hôtel de Beauharnais, today the residence of the German ambassador in Paris, a masterpiece of the Empire style and, for two centuries, a major element of Franco-German history. Built in 1713 by the architect Germain Boffrand, it was in 1803 that Prince Eugène de Beauharnais acquired it and, with the help of his mother, Empress Joséphine, undertook sumptuous works that placed the hotel at the forefront of art history and were at the origin of its reputation. After the fall of the Empire, it became the Parisian pied-à-terre of the Prussian king, then the German embassy, before becoming the residence of the German ambassador to Paris in 1968. Most of the interiors from Prince Eugene’s time have been preserved and this book, thanks to an exceptional photographic campaign, bears witness to the incredible beauty of this exceptional place. As a result of extensive research and restoration work that lasted more than ten years, it traces the history of this building and the destiny of those who lived in it with great documentary wealth.