Mexican Early 1940 Wood Adjustable Artist Easel

While antique and vintage easels are traditionally seen as an artist’s tool, they also have decorative uses beyond their basic function.

Easels are tall supports that painters use to prop their canvas on while they work. While many wooden easels have been made over the years, versions made with alternative materials such as aluminum, steel and other metals can be found too.

There are various types of easels. Studio easels differ from table easels in that the latter is meant for tabletop use. An H-frame easel is said to be the sturdiest variety and has the largest footprint. You will likely need a dedicated space in your home for this studio easel as it isn’t meant to be portable and can’t be broken down easily. Another studio easel, an A-frame easel, has a triangular “A” structure versus the “H” form we see in H-easels. The A-frame easel is lightweight and may be a bit more affordable than an H-frame easel.

Beyond an artist using an easel to create the next masterpiece, an easel can help you incorporate art into a living room that doesn’t have sufficient wall space for a painting. There are lots of ways to arrange wall art, and hanging isn’t the only way to display your artworks. You can stand framed pieces and stretched canvases on an easel, a mantelpiece, floating shelves or on the floor leaning against a wall. This creates a casual look and also allows you to change your arrangement more easily without damaging the wall. An understated easel can fade into the background, serving as an unassuming platform that allows a work to speak for itself. Conversely, many ornate and sculptural examples of easels have been made over the years. What better way to draw an eye toward a work of art in your home?

Find a collection of antique and vintage easels on 1stDibs that includes mid-century modern easels, industrial-style easels and more.