Empire Armchairs
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.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Beech
20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Beech
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Linen, Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
1810s Russian Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Armchairs
Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Ormolu
1810s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Fabric, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Bentwood
1810s Italian Antique Empire Armchairs
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
2010s Italian Empire Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Empire Armchairs
Metal, Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Bronze
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Armchairs
Birch
1810s Danish Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany, Velvet, Wood, Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Silk, Mahogany
20th Century Empire Armchairs
Wood
1980s French Vintage Empire Armchairs
Leather, Birch
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Sheepskin, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Velvet, Giltwood
1840s Danish Antique Empire Armchairs
Fabric, Birch
20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Silk, Wood, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Giltwood
1820s Danish Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Cherry
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Wood
1810s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
Early 18th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany, Upholstery, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Empire Armchairs
Bentwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Armchairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Empire Armchairs
Cane, Bentwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
19th Century European Antique Empire Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Wood, Giltwood