Renaissance Folk Art
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.
17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Canvas, Wood
Early 1600s German Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
16th Century European Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
15th Century and Earlier French Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Marble
18th Century French Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
20th Century Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
1910s German Vintage Renaissance Folk Art
Fruitwood
19th Century Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Other
17th Century European Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
20th Century Italian Renaissance Folk Art
Ceramic, Paint
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
15th Century and Earlier French Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Stone
1880s American Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Tin
19th Century Central American Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Limestone
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
Early 20th Century German Renaissance Folk Art
Paper
Early 19th Century North American Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood, Paint
Mid-18th Century Austrian Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Fir
15th Century and Earlier Thai Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Bronze
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Antler, Wood
1970s German Vintage Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
Late 20th Century Japanese Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
1830s Austrian Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Fir
Early 17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Oak
Early 20th Century Renaissance Folk Art
Hardwood
18th Century European Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood
1850s Italian Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Folk Art
Paper
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Metal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Folk Art
Paper
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wrought Iron
Late 17th Century European Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Hardwood
1880s French Antique Renaissance Folk Art
Wood