Empire Lighting
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.
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.
20th Century Empire Lighting
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Empire Lighting
Crystal, Brass
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Lighting
Marble, Gold Leaf, Brass, Bronze
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Lighting
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Lighting
Brass
1840s European Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Wire, Brass
1970s European Vintage Empire Lighting
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1940s Italian Vintage Empire Lighting
Crystal
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Empire Lighting
Brass, Gold Leaf
20th Century Empire Lighting
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Lighting
Bronze
1820s Swedish Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Brass, Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Alabaster, Bronze
1970s European Vintage Empire Lighting
Crystal, Brass, Wire
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1870s French Antique Empire Lighting
Granite, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Empire Lighting
Crystal, Ormolu, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Metal, Aluminum, Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Empire Lighting
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Ormolu
Early 1600s French Antique Empire Lighting
Metal, Silver Leaf
1940s Italian Vintage Empire Lighting
Crystal
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
1960s Spanish Vintage Empire Lighting
Crystal, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Lighting
Gold Plate, Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
1910s European Vintage Empire Lighting
Crystal, Wire, Brass
1850s Italian Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Tin
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze, Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century Empire Lighting
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Lighting
Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Lighting
Bronze
1960s Unknown Vintage Empire Lighting
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Lighting
Metal
1840s European Antique Empire Lighting
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1950s Czech Vintage Empire Lighting
Crystal, Brass
1910s French Vintage Empire Lighting
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Empire Lighting
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Empire Lighting
Silver Plate, Bronze
Early 1800s Baltic Antique Empire Lighting
Rock Crystal, Ormolu
1820s French Antique Empire Lighting
Bronze
1930s French Vintage Empire Lighting
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Empire Lighting
Bronze, Sheet Metal