Renaissance Busts
Spanning an era of cultural rebirth in Europe that harkened back to antiquity, the Renaissance was a time of change in design. From the late 1400s to the early 1600s, Rome, Venice and Florence emerged as artistic centers through the expansion of global trade and a humanist belief in the arts being central to society. Antique Renaissance furniture was ornately carved from sturdy woods like walnut, its details standing out against the tapestries and stained glass adorning the walls.
Renaissance chests, which were frequently commissioned for marriages, were often decorated with gilding or painted elements. Those that were known as cassoni were crafted in shapes based on classical sarcophagi. As opposed to the medieval era, when furniture was pared down to the necessities, a wide range of Renaissance chairs, tables and cabinets were created for the home, and the designs regularly referenced ancient Rome.
Large torchères of the Renaissance era that were used as floor lamps were inspired by classical candelabras, while marble surfaces evoked frescoes. The inlaid boxes being imported from the Middle East informed the intarsia technique, which involved varying hues of wood in mosaic-like patterns, such as those by architect Giuliano da Maiano in the Florence Cathedral.
Tapestry-woven cushion covers accented the variety of Renaissance seating — from conversation to study chairs — while bookcases for secular use reflected the migration of culture and knowledge from the church into the home. The aesthetics of the Italian Renaissance later spread to France through the publishing of work by renowned designers, including Hugues Sambin and Jacques Androuet du Cerceau. Centuries later, the 19th-century Renaissance Revival would see a return to this influential style.
Find a collection of antique Renaissance case pieces, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Busts
Gesso, Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Renaissance Busts
Alabaster, Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Terracotta
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Busts
Sandstone
20th Century Renaissance Busts
Hardwood, Paint
1890s French Antique Renaissance Busts
Bronze
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Marble
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Carrara Marble
19th Century Antique Renaissance Busts
Hardwood
Early 1800s Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Marble
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Busts
Hardwood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Busts
Marble, Bronze, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Busts
Alabaster, Marble
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Terracotta
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Busts
Faience, Hardwood
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Busts
Bronze
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Busts
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Busts
Porcelain
19th Century German Antique Renaissance Busts
Porcelain
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Wood
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Busts
Porcelain
20th Century Unknown Renaissance Busts
Carrara Marble
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Busts
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Marble
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Busts
Stone
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Busts
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Renaissance Busts
Bronze
1920s Italian Vintage Renaissance Busts
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Busts
Clay, Terracotta
1960s Italian Vintage Renaissance Busts
Terracotta
2010s Chinese Renaissance Busts
Multi-gemstone, Quartz
20th Century Italian Renaissance Busts
Terracotta
16th Century French Antique Renaissance Busts
Oak
20th Century African Renaissance Busts
Wood, Ebony
19th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Busts
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Busts
Bronze
1920s Belgian Vintage Renaissance Busts
Stone
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Busts
Plaster
20th Century French Renaissance Busts
Plaster
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Plaster
Mid-17th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Busts
Oak
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Terracotta, Paint
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Terracotta, Paint
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Carrara Marble
Early 1900s Italian Antique Renaissance Busts
Stone
Late 20th Century North American Renaissance Busts
Marble
19th Century French Antique Renaissance Busts
Cast Stone