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Biedermeier Folk Art

Biedermeier Style

The authentic Biedermeier furniture on 1stDibs is representative of 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 chairs, tables and other 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 antique, new and vintage Biedermeier furniture offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.

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Style: Biedermeier
Antique Biedermeier mirror with wooden frame. 1820 - 1850
Located in CADALSO, ES
Original condition
Category

1820s German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Mirror, Wood

Vintage Oil Painting Victorian River Landscape
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Vintage Oil Painting Victorian River Landscape A lovely vintage oil painting depicting a Victorian riverside landscape with boats on the river an...
Category

Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Summerly Mountain Landscape with Hiker on Hiking Trail, 19th Century
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Summerly Mountain Landscape with Hiker on Hiking Trail, 19th century. An antique oil painting depicting a hiker on an alpine hiking trail and a bridge over a mountrain stream. Painted on canvas with pastell colors. Framed with antique decorative gilded frame. Painted in the area of Tyrol or South Germany, late 19th century. A high quality antique oil painting which will highlight your alpine cabin wall decoration. Frame with minor defects. The Biedermeier period runs parallel to the Romantic period and both are characterized by similar features. Domesticity, closeness to nature, folksiness and need for harmony are buzzwords of this time. The focus is on the simple, the conservative and the tried and tested. There is little experimentation and more observation and enjoyment. The art style is kept very realistic and shows great similarity to photography. Domestic idyllic representations, beautiful landscape and impressive portraits are the most popular topics for oil paintings...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Antique German Biedermeier Wall Mirror
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique German Biedermeier Wall Mirror Early 1800's Southwest German tall Biedermeier wall mirror. Mirror - walnut veneer, ebonized profile strip at the top, in the medallion reli...
Category

Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Mirror, Wood

Shepherd with Herd in a Victorian Landscape, Oil on Wood, 19th Century
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Shepherd with Herd in a Victorian Landscape, Oil on Wood 19th century An original antique oil painting showing a shepherd with his sheeps and cows resting on a pond. Painted in oi...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Painting Summerly High Mountain Landscape, Oil on Board Late 19th Century
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Summerly high mountain landscape, oil on board late 19th century. An antique oil painting depicting a high mountain landscape with trees and cabin in front of a massif. Painted on board with pastell colors. Framed with antique black frame...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Still Life with Fruits, Oil Painting on Canvas, Germany, 1950s
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Still Life with Fruits, oil painting on canvas, Germany 1950s An impressive Biedermeier style still life painting depicting diverse fruits like plums, grapes or peaches. Painted in ...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Painting Cattle Carriage on an Alpine Lake, Oil on Canvas 19th century
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Painting Cattle Carriage on an Alpine Lake, Oil on Canvas 19th century A lovely antique oil painting depicting a Tyrolian farmers family which loads their cattle heard onto a boat. The scene is located on an mountain lake in the Alpine landscape. Oil on canvas 1st half of the 19th century. Framed with vintage gilded frame, paint partly with craquelure. This painting will be a highlight in each rural decoration. Alpine oil painting...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Canvas

Antique Trompe L'oeil Painting by Micheangelo Meucci, Florence 1867
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Antique Trompe l'oeil Painting by Micheangelo Meucci, Florence 1867 A large Trompe l'oeil oil painting depicting hunted birds. A very detailled and colorful oil painting on board pa...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Impressionistic Painting of a Garden with Blossoming Apple Trees
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Impressionistic painting of a garden with blossoming apple trees A colorful impressionistic oil painting depicting a garden with blossoming apple trees. Oil painting on board with vigorous pastell colors. Framed with antique decorative gilded frame. Germany ca. 1930s Mid-20th Century oil paintings often reflect people´s deep longing for security, beauty and a peaceful world. The natural landscapes show their beauty and majesty with powerful colors. The paintings of that time leave room for romantic feelings and sentimentality. The artist of the time gave people a sense of just be happy...
Category

Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood

High Mountain Landscape with Alpine Lake near Kufstein, circa 1950s
Located in Berghuelen, DE
High Mountain Landscape with Alpine Lake near Kufstein, circa 1950s A large impressionistic oil painting depicting a high mountain landscape with mountain lake and folksy mountain hut in front of the imperial mountains (Kaisergebirge) near Kufstein in Austria. Oil painting on canvas with pastell colors. Painted by Passy-Cornet around 1950s. Framed with vintage decorative gilded frame. Artist signature on the front and paper lable of the reseller on the back. Mid-20th Century oil paintings often reflect people´s deep longing for security, beauty and a peaceful world. The natural landscapes show their beauty and majesty with powerful colors. The paintings of that time leave room for romantic feelings and sentimentality. The artist of the time gave people a sense of just be happy...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Antique Oil Painting Farm Girl on a Flower Meadow by M. E. Ummenhofer
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Antique oil painting farm girl on a flower meadow by M. E. Ummenhofer An impressive antique oil painting depicting a farm girl on a summerly flower ...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood

J. Sedelmeier - Sunrise over the Lake Missurina in the Dolomites
Located in Berghuelen, DE
J. Sedelmeier - sunrise over the Lake Missurina in the Dolomites A colorful oil painting depicting a high mountain landscape with the lake Missurina in front of the Three Pinnacles (Drei Zinnen) in the Dolomites. Painted in oil on canvas with pastell colors by Josef Sedlmeier around 1950s. Framed with vintage wooden decorative gilded frame. Signed by the artist on the right base. On the back paper lable with inscription on the frame: 'Josef Sedelmeier Míssurinasee Dolomiten'. A wonderful original painting of the Tyrolian school. Mid-20th Century oil paintings often reflect people´s deep longing for security, beauty and a peaceful world. The natural landscapes show their beauty and majesty with powerful colors. The paintings of that time leave room for romantic feelings and sentimentality. The artist of the time gave people a sense of just be happy...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood

W. Kruegner, Summerly High Mountain Landscape with Alpine Lake and Watzmann
Located in Berghuelen, DE
W. Kruegner- summerly high mountain landscape with alpine Lake and Watzmann. An impressionistic oil painting depicting a high mountain landsca...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Old Oil Painting Around 1900 on Canvas
Located in Berlin, DE
Old oil painting around 1900 on canvas. Anonymous painter allegory of music with 2 girls sitting at the Cello and piano.
Category

19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Alpine Landscape Oil Painting with Tyrolian Mountain Village
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Alpine Landscape Oil Painting with Tyrolian Mountain Village A large vintage oil painting depicting an Alpine landscape with Tyrolian mountain village. Painted on cardboard with pastell colors. Framed with antique decorative gilded frame. On the left base signed by the artist "K. Votteler". Painted in the area of Tyrol or south Germany, early 20th century. A high quality antique oil painting which will highlight your Alpine cabin wall decoration. The Biedermeier period runs parallel to the Romantic period and both are characterized by similar features. Domesticity, closeness to nature, folksiness and need for harmony are buzzwords of this time. The focus is on the simple, the conservative and the tried and tested. There is little experimentation and more observation and enjoyment. The art style is kept very realistic and shows great similarity to photography. Domestic idyllic representations, beautiful landscape and impressive portraits are the most popular topics for oil paintings...
Category

Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Unknown, Folksy Scenery with Cattles, Goats and Farmer's Wifes, Ca. 1900s
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Oil painting folksy scenery with cattles, goats and farmer's wifes, ca. 1900s A colorful antique oil painting depicting a bavarian farmers family with their cattles and goats. The scene is located beside an mountain lake in the alpine landscape. Oil on canvas late 19th century. Framed with wooden richly handcarved Black Forest frame. Paint partly with craquelure and peeled off (see detail pictures). A great addition to every folksy wall decor. Alpine oil painting...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood

B. Bauer, Oil Painting Alpine Winter Landscape, Early 20th Century
Located in Berghuelen, DE
B. Bauer - oil painting alpine winter landscape, early 20th century. A lovely antique oil painting depicting a winterly Alpine landscape. Oil on canvas 1st half of the 20th century. Framed with antique carved and gilded frame. Signed "B. Bauer". The painting would be a great addition to your rural wall decor. Mid 20th century oil paintings often reflect people´s deep longing for security, beauty and a peaceful world. The natural landscapes show their beauty and majesty with powerful colors. The paintings of that time leave room for romantic feelings and sentimentality. The artist of the time gave people a sense of just be happy...
Category

Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Small Money Box "Magdalena" in the Style of Stobwasser Braunschweig
Located in Hamburg, DE
Small money box " Magadalena" in the style of Stobwasser Braunschweig. The piggy bank is made of painted tin and is reminiscent of the tin boxes finely painted by Stobwasser Braunschweig. The painting of the money tin...
Category

1840s German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Tin

Wood Carved Antique German Biedermeier Wooden Glove Stretcher
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A Historical Souvenir Wooden glove stretcher. Made of wood showing landscapes. This is a nice addition to your collection.
Category

1860s German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Antique Embroidery Little Girl House Door Vine Flower Bouquet Wall Key Cabinet
Located in Munich, DE
This highly amusing and unusual little wall cabinet for keys is decorated with a charming embroidery picture of a little girl wearing a red dress wi...
Category

1830s German Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Glass, Wool, Wood

Biedermeier Picture Clock with Musical Movement, Austria, circa 1825
Located in Incline Village, NV
These painting clocks are very rare, especially containing the music box. Of Austrian manufacture circa 1820-1830, this Biedermeier picture (painting) clock is a naive and charming oil painting on metal, which depicts nine people dressed in colorful period clothes at various activities; a woman with her child and carrying fruit in a basket atop her head, two young lovers, a man in a boat, another man walking with his dog, while still another gentleman leaves the town hall. A woman at the window...
Category

19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Folk Art

Materials

Metal

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Biedermeier folk art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Biedermeier folk art for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage folk art created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include folk art, wall decorations, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Biedermeier folk art made in a specific country, there are Europe, Germany, and Austria pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original folk art, popular names associated with this style include and Michelangelo Meucci. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for folk art differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $145 and tops out at $4,950 while the average work can sell for $1,320.

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