Empire Lighting
From 1804–15, Napoléon I reigned as the emperor of France, bringing the country into a new era of opulence after the fall of the monarchy and the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. He declared, “We must have very solid things, made to last 100 years.” Empire-style furniture followed suit, with imposing pieces constructed from mahogany and adorned with gilded ornaments. Expanding on the neoclassicism popularized in the previous century — such as in Louis XVI style — Empire style borrowed from the great civilizations of antiquity, from Egypt to Greece and Rome, to connect this nascent empire to the power of the past.
Napoléon I believed the production of fine furniture would reflect the stature of the republic, with his official architects Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine leading the way with their work on his residences.
Luxurious materials, symmetrical shapes and bold colors characterize antique Empire-style bedroom furniture, armchairs, cabinets and other structures, with frequent motifs including mythological creatures, geometric designs, acanthus leaves, eagles, bees (the imperial emblem) and swans, a favorite of Empress Joséphine.
Flat surfaces, like marble tabletops, were accented with decadent details, such as the bronze furniture mounts made by sculptor Pierre-Philippe Thomire for the French palaces. Martin-Guillaume Biennais, who worked as the imperial goldsmith, crafted intricate luxury objects that mixed wood, fine metal, mother-of-pearl and ivory. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
The style became popular abroad, influencing the American Empire style. Stately pieces carved with sprigs of olives by cabinetmaker Pierre-Antoine Bellange were acquired by American President James Monroe for the White House in 1817.
Find a collection of antique Empire tables, lighting, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Lighting
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Lighting
Silver, Bronze, Enamel
2010s Italian Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
2010s Italian Empire Lighting
Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Lighting
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Metal
20th Century German Empire Lighting
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Empire Lighting
Crystal, Brass, Metal
2010s Italian Empire Lighting
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Metal
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 20th Century American Empire Lighting
Brass
1930s Austrian Vintage Empire Lighting
Crystal, Metal, Gold Plate
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Lighting
Crystal, Wire
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
20th Century Empire Lighting
Bronze
1810s European Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
1870s French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Lighting
Brass
Early 2000s Argentine Empire Lighting
Bronze
Early 20th Century Empire Lighting
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Slate, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1930s French Vintage Empire Lighting
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Lighting
Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Empire Lighting
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Lighting
Bronze
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Bronze, Sheet Metal
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Granite, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Empire Lighting
Bronze
Late 20th Century Empire Lighting
Bronze
Early 2000s Austrian Empire Lighting
Crystal, Metal
2010s Italian Empire Lighting
Crystal, Gold Leaf, Gold, Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Lighting
Ormolu
Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Metal
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Composition
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Lighting
Crystal, Wire
Early 20th Century European Empire Lighting
Metal
1820s French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
1940s Italian Vintage Empire Lighting
Bronze
1920s Austrian Vintage Empire Lighting
Steel
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu