Biedermeier Period Collection
Biedermeier furniture represents the first modern European decorative style not dictated by the tastes of the aristocracy. Following the Napoleonic wars, a growing, wealthy urban middle class in the German-speaking states of Central Europe began to demand rights and privileges once granted only to nobles. To avoid trouble, the upwardly striving confined their political discussions to one another’s homes. And so the salon was born.
Cabinetmakers in cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Mainz began to offer goods that reflected the tastes and needs of the new class. The makers of Biedermeier furniture used little or no gilding, silver hardware or other lavish ornament. Ebonized trims are common on Biedermeier cabinetry, and neoclassical elements — lyre-shaped chair splats, carved scrollwork, table supports shaped like Greek columns. But the strongest aesthetic statement came from the wood — richly-grained, honey-colored, often book-matched veneers of walnut and fruitwood.
There are two iconic Biedermeier furniture forms, both made to outfit rooms designed for conversation. One is the sofa, deeply upholstered with a strong, architectural wooden frame. The second is the circular pedestal table, which stood at the center of the room, offering a surface on which to place coffee and cake services; or to roll out a map, or sketch out ideas on paper.
“Biedermeier” was originally a derogatory term — it derives from the pen names of two German magazine writers who mocked bourgeois manners. Looking at the elegant and refined pieces offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Brass
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Walnut
Late 20th Century French Provincial Biedermeier Period Collection
Upholstery
1930s English Edwardian Vintage Biedermeier Period Collection
Fabric
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Biedermeier Period Collection
Upholstery, Walnut
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Biedermeier Period Collection
Leather, Lacquer
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Biedermeier Period Collection
Fabric
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Biedermeier Period Collection
Suede, Wood
2010s North American Modern Biedermeier Period Collection
Hardwood
1920s French French Provincial Vintage Biedermeier Period Collection
Walnut, Velvet
Mid-20th Century German Bohemian Biedermeier Period Collection
Fabric, Wood
20th Century American Georgian Biedermeier Period Collection
Fabric, Wood
1980s Vintage Biedermeier Period Collection
Cotton
19th Century Italian Renaissance Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Walnut
