From 1804–15, Napoléon I reigned as the emperor of France, bringing the country into a new era of opulence after the fall of the monarchy and the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. He declared, “We must have very solid things, made to last 100 years.” Empire-style furniture followed suit, with imposing pieces constructed from mahogany and adorned with gilded ornaments. Expanding on the neoclassicism popularized in the previous century — such as in Louis XVI style — Empire style borrowed from the great civilizations of antiquity, from Egypt to Greece and Rome, to connect this nascent empire to the power of the past.
Napoléon I believed the production of fine furniture would reflect the stature of the republic, with his official architects Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine leading the way with their work on his residences.
Luxurious materials, symmetrical shapes and bold colors characterize antique Empire-style bedroom furniture, armchairs, cabinets and other structures, with frequent motifs including mythological creatures, geometric designs, acanthus leaves, eagles, bees (the imperial emblem) and swans, a favorite of Empress Joséphine.
Flat surfaces, like marble tabletops, were accented with decadent details, such as the bronze furniture mounts made by sculptor Pierre-Philippe Thomire for the French palaces. Martin-Guillaume Biennais, who worked as the imperial goldsmith, crafted intricate luxury objects that mixed wood, fine metal, mother-of-pearl and ivory. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
The style became popular abroad, influencing the American Empire style. Stately pieces carved with sprigs of olives by cabinetmaker Pierre-Antoine Bellange were acquired by American President James Monroe for the White House in 1817.
Find a collection of antique Empire tables, lighting, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
19th Century Walnut Pair of Bookcases Boiserie de Bibliothèque
Located in Vosselaar, BE
A rare pair of heliocodal French Directoire library bookcases in solid walnut. This type of bookcases is also known as 'boiseries de Bibliothèque' a...
Walnut
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Bibliotheque or Bookcase
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th century French Louis XVI bibliotheque, or bookcase, made of solid walnut with mahogany as a secondary wood. Nice hand carved decorative panels at the bottom with musical instr...
Glass, Mahogany, Walnut
19th Century French Pine Library Bibliotheque Bookcase
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Grand late 19th century country French library bibliotheque bookcase cabinet constructed from pine. The large case features a country French aes...
Brass
$20,462
H 105.12 in W 107.49 in D 16.93 in
A Large Scale 19th Century French Painted Glazed Bibliothèque Cabinet - Bookcase
Located in Basingstoke, Hampshire
An exceptional large scale early 19th century French glazed Bibliothèque cabinet. Demonstrating original paint, which has worn wonderfully over the years creating a lovely warm patin...
Pine, Paint
$4,480
H 89 in W 62 in D 22 in
19th Century French Louis Philippe Bookcase ~ Bibliotheque in Stripped Oak
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant French bookcase dates to the Louis Philippe period, a time in the 1840s when design turned toward comfort, balance, and livable beauty. Under the reign of King Louis Phi...
Glass, Oak
Mid-19th Century Italian Two Part Bibliotheque Bookcase
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Beautifully finished, large mid-19th Century Italian bibliotheque with original locks and keys. Glazed doors on the upper unit with adjustable shelves. Later pale blue paint finish.
Wood, Paint
$5,715
H 108.67 in W 54.34 in D 14.97 in
Tall Early 19th Century French Painted Glazed Bibliothèque, Bookcase
Located in Basingstoke, Hampshire
A tall early 19th century french painted glazed Bibliothèque - bookcase. Of tall and slender proportions. Displaying a pair of glazed doors over a pair of arched panel doors opening ...
Walnut
Pair of 19th Century Walnut Bookcases
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A pair of late 19th century French walnut bookcases. 2 glazed doors above a drawer and 2-panel doors with ebonized detail.
Walnut, Wood
Pair of 19th Century English Bookcases
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Good pair of 19th Century English painted bookcases. 1840 Upper shelf depth - 11.5"(26.5cm) One bookcase has fixed upper shelves and the other has adjustable shelves. If you'd lik...
Brass
Pair of 19th Century French Ebonised Bookcases
Located in London, GB
An exceptional pair of 19th-century French ebonised glazed cabinets, designed with elegant proportions and refined neoclassical detail. Each cabinet features a deep, lustrous ebonise...
Brass
$7,350Sale Price|25% Off
H 109 in W 75 in D 22.5 in
19th Century French Renaissance Two-Tiered Bookcase ~ Bibliotheque
Located in Dallas, TX
Steeped in the romance and grandeur of the late 19th century, this impressive French Renaissance Revival bookcase was originally created for a Normandy château, where its monumental ...
Brass
French Empire 19th Century Walnut Bookcase-Cabinet
Located in Troy, NY
Small French Empire bookcase/cabinet with framed glazed sides, featuring a molded wooden elongated X on the inside, one wire-mesh-inset door, the corners e...
Brass
Pair of 19th century walnut open bookcases
Located in Cheshire, GB
Pair of 19th-century walnut open bookcases, the rectangular well-figured tops to the carved freeze, above the adjustable shelved interior, flanked by carved columns, all raised on pl...
Walnut
Large Reclaimed ‘King’ Wall Hanging Sign
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A large reclaimed ‘King’ wall hanging sign dating to the early 20th century. Bold and stylish cast bronze letters are mounted onto a smooth mahogany boa...
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Empire Period Boiserie ~ Saturday Sale ~
Located in Dallas, TX
This Antique Painted Panel, or Boiserie, was salvaged from a fine French manoir, and features a centuries-old painted finish atop carved gryffins. Such panels were also sometimes pa...