Gustavian Bergere Chairs
With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
19th Century Italian Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood, Giltwood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Fabric, Beech
1870s Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
1880s Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
20th Century Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood, Feathers
1890s Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
19th Century Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
1890s Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1910s Vintage Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Walnut, Giltwood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
19th Century French Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
1870s French Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Giltwood
1780s English Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Paint
1820s French Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Cherry
1890s French Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Linen, Giltwood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Paint, Silk, Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
1950s French Vintage Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
1940s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood
1930s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Birch
1930s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Birch
1930s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Birch
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Birch
1880s Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Birch
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Mahogany
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Pine
1930s French Vintage Gustavian Bergere Chairs
Wood, Fabric