Napoleon III style
The Napoleon III style was a highly eclectic style of architecture and decorative arts, which used elements of many different historical styles,and also made innovative use of modern materials, such as iron frameworks and glass skylights. It flourished during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III in France (1852–1871) and had an important influence on architecture and decoration in the rest of Europe and the United States. Major examples of the style include the Opéra Garnier in Paris by Charles Garnier (1862–71), the Bibliothèque nationale de France. and the Church of Saint Augustine (1860–1871). The architectural style was closely connected with Haussmann's renovation of Paris carried out during the Second Empire; the new buildings, such as the opera, were intended as the focal points of the new boulevards.
Napoleon III style
Napoleon III's many projects included the completion of the Louvre Palace, which adjoined his own residence in the Tuileries Palace. Between 1864 and 1868, He commissioned the architect Hector Lefuel to rebuild the Pavillon de Flore from the Renaissance Louvre; Lefuel added many of his own decorations and ideas to the pavilion, including the state of Flore by the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. He also added apartments for the Empress, visible today, and rebuilt entirely the Porte des Lions of the Louvre in a graceful and harmonious if not perfectly historical style. This gateway originally featured a statue of Napoleon III over the central arch, which was removed during the Third Republic.