Baroque Books
The decadence of the Baroque style, in which ornate furnishings were layered against paneled walls, painted ceilings, stately chandeliers and, above all, gilding, expressed the power of the church and monarchy through design that celebrated excess. And its influence was omnipresent — antique Baroque furniture was created in the first design style that truly had a global impact.
Theatrical and lavish, Baroque was prevalent across Europe from the 17th to mid-18th century and spread around the world through colonialism, including in Asia, Africa and the Americas. While Baroque originated in Italy and achieved some of its most fantastic forms in the late-period Roman Baroque, it was adapted to meet the tastes and materials in each region. French Baroque furniture informed Louis XIV style and added drama to Versailles. In Spain, the Baroque movement influenced the elaborate Churrigueresque style in which architecture was dripping with ornamental details. In South German Baroque, furniture was made with bold geometric patterns.
Compared to Renaissance furniture, which was more subdued in its proportions, Baroque furniture was extravagant in all aspects, from its shape to its materials.
Allegorical and mythical figures were often sculpted in the wood, along with motifs like scrolling floral forms and acanthus leaves that gave the impression of tangles of dense foliage. Novel techniques and materials such as marquetry, gesso and lacquer — which were used with exotic woods and were employed by cabinetmakers such as André-Charles Boulle, Gerrit Jensen and James Moore — reflected the growth of international trade. Baroque furniture characteristics include a range of decorative elements — a single furnishing could feature everything from carved gilded wood to gilt bronze, lending chairs, mirrors, console tables and other pieces a sense of motion.
Find a collection of authentic antique Baroque tables, lighting, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Baroque Books
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Baroque Books
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Baroque Books
Paper
16th Century German Antique Baroque Books
Paper
2010s American Baroque Books
Fabric
Late 20th Century Italian Baroque Books
Paper
16th Century Belgian Antique Baroque Books
Wood, Paper
Late 20th Century Italian Baroque Books
Paper
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Books
Leather, Paper
Late 20th Century Baroque Books
Paper
Late 20th Century French Baroque Books
Paper
Late 20th Century French Baroque Books
Paper
Late 20th Century Baroque Books
Paper
Late 20th Century German Baroque Books
Paper
Late 20th Century Italian Baroque Books
Paper
Late 20th Century Baroque Books
Paper
20th Century Italian Baroque Books
Paper
Late 20th Century Italian Baroque Books
Paper
Early 2000s Belgian Baroque Books
Paper
1970s Italian Vintage Baroque Books
Paper
20th Century European Baroque Books
Paper
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Books
Mid-18th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Books
Animal Skin, Paper
1880s Spanish Antique Baroque Books
20th Century American Baroque Books
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Baroque Books
Paper
2010s Italian Baroque Books
Paper
20th Century Baroque Books
Paper
1990s French Baroque Books
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Baroque Books
Fabric, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary European Baroque Books
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Baroque Books
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Baroque Books
Aluminum, Foil
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Baroque Books
Cherry, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Baroque Books
Paper
1990s Italian Baroque Books
Paper
2010s American Baroque Books
Paper
Late 20th Century Belgian Baroque Books
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Baroque Books
Paper
Mid-20th Century Spanish Baroque Books
Wood
20th Century American Baroque Books
Paper
20th Century Dutch Baroque Books
Paper
20th Century Belgian Baroque Books
Paper
1990s Swedish Baroque Books
Paper
1760s French Antique Baroque Books
Paper
1750s French Antique Baroque Books
Leather, Paper
1940s Italian Vintage Baroque Books
Paper
1910s Spanish Vintage Baroque Books
Paper