Empire Trumeau Mirrors
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.
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 18th Century German Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood, Mahogany
19th Century American Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Paint, Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Stucco, Wood
1840s European Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Mahogany
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Bronze
1810s Swedish Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Beech
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Gesso, Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Giltwood
1920s French Vintage Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood
1810s French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
20th Century European Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Giltwood, Mirror
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Gesso, Mirror, Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Canvas
1990s Unknown Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Pine
20th Century French Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Tapestry, Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood
Mid-20th Century Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Hardwood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Glass, Wood
1860s French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Giltwood
2010s Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Paint
1810s French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Glass, Mercury Glass, Wood, Giltwood, Paint
19th Century American Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Gold Leaf
1810s French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Bronze
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Glass, Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
20th Century European Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
1820s French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Wood, Mirror
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Oak, Paint
19th Century French Antique Empire Trumeau Mirrors
Glass, Mirror, Giltwood