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.
$3,500
Mora Clock 19th Century
Located in Crowthorne, Surrey
Antique Swedish Mora clock from the 19th Century with later painting. Hand carved detailing to crown and white painted with gold paint detailing. Arabic numeral face. Width:64cm / 2...
Wood
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Tall Case Closk
Located in Mckinney, TX
An exquisite Swedish tall case clock boasting a rounded crown and clean lines, complemented by a dry-scraped finish. The clock retains its original blue-green and alabaster paint wit...
Iron
Gustavian white painted Longcase Clock Mathias Kullberg Stockholm 18th century
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
Very decorative Swedish longcase clock from the Gustavian period painted in a cream white with giltwood decoration. The dial is signed by the St...
Wood
$2,400
Mora Clock
Located in Crowthorne, Surrey
Swedish Mora clock from the second half of the 20th Century. Working Longcase clock mechanism of pendulum and 2 weights and a bell chime on the hour. Width: 60cm / 23.6" Depth: 15cm...
Wood
Antique Swedish Gustavian Longcase Clock
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique gustavian long case clock in painted pine from Sweden. The clock has a hand carved decor in wood with older paint from the late 1800s. The paint has become slightly distresse...
Pine
Mid-19th century Painted Swedish Mora Column Case Floor Clock
Located in Leesburg, VA
Mid-19th century Painted Swedish Mora Column Case Floor Clock Anonymous Sweden; probably mid-19th century Wood, enamel, iron Approximate size: 84 (h) x 21.75 (w) x 10 (d) in. This...
Enamel, Iron
$3,000
Mora Clock
Located in Crowthorne, Surrey
Swedish Mora clock with hand painted decorative floral details and carving detail. Working Longcase clock mechanism of pendulum and 2 weights and a bell chime on the hour. Width:54cm...
Wood
$2,943Sale Price|20% Off
Swedish Antique Mora Clock Fryksdall Green Gold 1800s Gustavian Ekerstrom A
Located in Lewes, England
Antique Swedish mora clock from the early 1800s in lovely Green and Gold finish and Classic Fryksdall detailing with an extended belly shape body, Dual Star Motif and a clean face in...
Wood
$2,400
Mora Clock
Located in Crowthorne, Surrey
Swedish Mora clock from the 1800's with dial signed by E. Bergquist and inside the clock the date 1856 and village Aata. Working Longcase clock mechanism of pendulum and 2 weights an...
Wood
$2,400
Mora Clock
Located in Crowthorne, Surrey
Antique Swedish Mora clock from the 1800's. Original paint; cream with gold detailing. Working Longcase clock mechanism of pendulum and 2 weights and a bell chime on the hour. Width...
Wood
Tall White Swedish Pine Mora Grandfather Clock, circa 1840
Located in Round Top, TX
Swedish mora grandfather clocks are identified by their gentle curves and classic style as seen in this exceptional longcase clock that stands just over 7.5' tall. Restored, later pr...
Pine, Paint
Mora Clock Swedish 1800s Antique white 202cm tall star motif
Located in Lewes, England
Antique Swedish mora clock from the 1800s in lovely white finish with a star motif on the main body and a superb detailed roman numeral face in good condition. Measures: 202 cm. It...
Wood
Original Blue Painted Tall Swedish Mora Grandfather Clock, circa 1820-40
Located in Round Top, TX
Exceptional hand painted mora grandfather clock with original light blue painted finish accented in soft red and white trim. The warm aged patina on this 8' tall clock is what collec...
Glass, Wood, Paint
$3,216Sale Price|20% Off
Swedish Antique Mora Clock Green Early 1800s 210m Åman Arboga A
Located in Lewes, England
210cm early 1800s antique Swedish mora clock with carved detail on the hood in a green paint finish and detailed face and hand painted detailing. Maker Named Åman, Arboga on face...
Pine
$3,216Sale Price|20% Off
Swedish Mora Clock Flowers and Wreath Painted Detail Antique, Early 1800s
Located in Lewes, England
Early 1800s Mora clock with stunning hand painted trompe l'oeil flower wreathes and patterns with sumptuous carved detail on the hood and plinth. This mora clock is a unique find, g...
Pine
Vintage Patinated Gustavian Grandfather Clock
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This exceptional vintage Mora clock captures the ethereal elegance of Gustavian design, a style celebrated for its soft atmospheric finishes and graceful curves. Expertly crafted in ...
Metal
$2,725Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Swedish Mora Clock, White Wood, Gustavian Style, Circa 1820
Located in Lewes, England
Antique Swedish mora clock from the early 1800s in white paint finish and simple detailing with an extended belly shape body and a rclean face in good condition. Measures: 206 cm. ...
Wood
Antique Mora Clock Swedish 1800s Antique Tall J. Svensson Svenstad A
Located in Lewes, England
Shipping special update - We have negotiated a special flat rate shipping cost to the USA with our main US shipping partner for our 1st dibs clients of only £995 export crated by ai...
Wood
$2,725Sale Price|20% Off
Swedish Mora Clock White Gold Paint, Early 1800s Carved Detail Antique Gustavian
Located in Lewes, England
Very tall decorative, 1800s antique Swedish Mora clock with unusual body shape and crown stunning hand painted gold detailing to the body and plinth. This original 1800s Mora clock ...
Pine
19th Century Swedish Column Clock
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Swedish early 19th Century column clock with original painted decoration. This clock has a lovely elegant shape, with unusual scrolled decoration to the neck. It has been dry-scraped to its original paint that is rich in patina and graining. A unique and beautiful clock, that will have a powerful presence in any interior. This clock is not in working order. PLEASE NOTE: The clocks we sell are decorative and are not guaranteed to be in working order. If you require the clock to be in working order, we can recommend an antique clock...
Pine, Paint
Unique 100% Original Finished Swedish Gustavian Wall Clock
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a Unique 100% Original Finished Swedish Gustavian Wall Clock.
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Painted Grandfather Clock
Located in Houston, TX
The Early 20th Century Swedish Painted Grandfather Clock stands as a testament to the exquisite craftsmanship and timeless beauty of its era. Gilded and intricately carved around its...
Glass, Wood, Paint
Swedish Painted Tall Case Column Clock from the Late 18th Century
Located in Washington, DC
A Swedish painted tall case column clock from the late 18th century. There are two decorative brass clock hands. The face is secured behind a single hinged glass door. The top of the clock has a carved ionic column and carved dental molding...
Metal
Unusual Pair of Gustavian Corner Clock Cabinets, Origin Mora, Sweden, Circa 1780
Located in New York, NY
Unusual pair of Gustavian corner clock cabinets, origin: Mora, Sweden, circa 1780 Each cabinet with matching working, tall case clocks decorated with four fluted diamond patterns an...
Wood, Paint