Empire Wall Mirrors
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.
1880s French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Wood
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Wood
1860s French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Wood
Early 20th Century Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Wood
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany
1820s Italian Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Empire Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
1840s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
1890s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
20th Century Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Ormolu
1810s Austrian Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Spruce
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Wall Mirrors
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood, Pine
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
20th Century Belgian Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Ormolu
18th Century Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
1920s British Vintage Empire Wall Mirrors
Glass, Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood, Pine
1840s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Empire Wall Mirrors
Wood, Lacquer, Giltwood, Mirror
1880s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
1910s Danish Vintage Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
1880s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Wood
19th Century American Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Paint
1890s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
1890s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
1890s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
1880s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Wood
1880s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Fruitwood, Mahogany
18th Century British Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany
1880s Danish Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Glass, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Wood, Giltwood