Late 18th Swedish Gustavian
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Tables
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Scandinavian Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Cupboards
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Pine, Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Side Tables
Hardwood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Side Tables
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Sofas
Fabric, Wood
Antique 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Corner Cupboards
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak, Paint, Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Settees
Pine
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Trumeau Mirrors
Gesso, Mirror, Giltwood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Drop-leaf and Pembroke Tables
Pine
Antique 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Candlesticks
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Sofas
Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Benches
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Candlesticks
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Benches
Paint, Wood, Linen
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Benches
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Cupboards
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Side Tables
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Benches
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Directoire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Iron, Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Chairs
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Game Tables
Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirrors
Mirror
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Trumeau Mirrors
Wood, Mercury Glass, Giltwood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Buffets
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Chairs
Paint, Wood, Linen
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Chairs
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Game Tables
Pine
Antique 1790s Swedish Gustavian Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century European Gustavian Armchairs
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Footstools
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique 19th Century Swedish Art Nouveau Stools
Giltwood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Buffets
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Clocks
Giltwood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Buffets
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks
Brass, Iron
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Chairs
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Linen, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Buffets
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Sideboards
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Wall Mirrors
Glass, Wood, Giltwood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Grandfather Clocks and Longc...
Wood, Paint
Antique 1780s Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirrors
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Footstools
Linen, Wood, Paint
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Late 18th Swedish Gustavian For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Late 18th Swedish Gustavian?
A Close Look at gustavian Furniture
With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.