Empire Sculptures
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.
1890s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Sculptures
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Early 1800s Austrian Antique Empire Sculptures
Gold
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Sculptures
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century Unknown Empire Sculptures
Marble
Mid-20th Century German Empire Sculptures
Porcelain
1830s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Empire Sculptures
Porcelain
1790s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Giltwood
1870s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Copper, Metal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Metal, Brass, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Empire Sculptures
Marble, Metal
1810s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
1850s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
1880s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Tortoise Shell
19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Malachite, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Crystal, Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century European Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Giltwood
1810s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Metal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
1860s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Empire Sculptures
Wood, Lacquer
1890s Russian Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
1850s European Antique Empire Sculptures
Terracotta
1840s French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Porphyry, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 20th Century Empire Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Sculptures
Porphyry, Bronze
1880s German Antique Empire Sculptures
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Sculptures
Bronze
20th Century European Empire Sculptures
Plaster