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Gustavian Paintings

GUSTAVIAN STYLE

With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.

Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.

Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.

While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.

Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Gustavian
Antique Henry Dezire French Impressionist Oil Painting Still Life Vase of Flower
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique Henry Dezire French Impressionist Oil Painting Still Life Vase of Flowers c.1929
Category

1920s French Vintage Gustavian Paintings

Materials

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C1800s naive Swedish oil painting of a castle & lake scene
Located in London, GB
Charming naive/folk early 1800s Swedish framed oil painting of a castle viewed from across a lake where figures are boating and fishing. The canvas has been laid on board and later f...
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1790s Swedish Antique Gustavian Paintings

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Eugene-Henri Cauchois (French, 1850-1911) Impressionist Flowers Still Life Oil
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Eugene-Henri Cauchois (French, 1850-1911) impressionist still life flowers with vase, oil on canvas. Signed lower right corner by the artist. Provenance: a private French collection. Professional restorations to verso, ready to hang. Dimensions approx (unframed) 20" x 24" or 50.8cm x 61cm. ABOUT THE ARTIST: Eugène Henri Cauchois was a pupil of Cabanel and Duboc. He exhibited at the Paris Salon as of 1874. Cauchois was a member of the Société du Salon des Artistes Français from 1890 onwards and was awarded bronze medals in 1898 and 1900, and a silver medal in 1904. He used a number of pseudonyms including F De Montaland, E Soyer, C Mary, Vermont and D Valmon. Towards the end of his life, Cauchois directed his efforts towards decorative compositions, producing among other things panels decorated with seasonal flowers for a school in the seventh arrondissement in Paris. His compositional style is characterised by vigorously applied and densely coloured brushstrokes. 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Gustavian paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Gustavian paintings for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee.

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