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The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”

Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.

Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

Vintage, new and antique bergère chairs add a touch of history to any leisure space. This beautifully upholstered seating furniture spans centuries of style, design and fashion.

A bergère armchair exudes comfort. The best-known versions have cushioned armrests and an upholstered back (or, at the very least, a cushion for the backrest). The seat is usually home to a sumptuous loose cushion, and the exposed wooden frame, molded or decoratively carved, is quite wide and sits low to the ground. In your living room, alongside your mahogany side tables and plush sofa, this chair will embody class, exceptional design and precise craftsmanship.

Bergère armchairs are among the chairs you should know. They originated in France and date back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries. There are at least three types of bergère chairs: bergère à la reine, which features high armrests, a straight back and sides that slope down to the arms; a shorter bergère cabriolet; and the bergère marquise, which is usually smaller with a low and curved back.

Louis XV bergère chairs were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period, while versions that were made during the Louis XVI period — which is characterized by furniture designed in reaction to the florid stylings of the previous era — see the particular style of chair developed further, with the area between the elbow rests and the seat being upholstered with fabric. Over time, the bergère chair took on dramatically different forms, while maintaining the same basic features. Mid-century modern bergère chairs have a sleeker design with simple yet elegant features. Whatever your overall chosen furniture style, a bergère chair introduces a comfortable yet commanding presence to any space.

Explore the extensive collection of antique, new and vintage bergère chairs on 1stDibs.