19th c. Biedermeier Birchwood Sofa

Austrian Biedermeier-period sofa crafted of mahogany veneer, upholstered in beige fabric with geometric motifs. This refined piece of furniture has rolled armrests decorated with twisted patterns and medallions, and large backrest highlighted with scrolls and palmette. The sofa rests on four square fluted legs. The Biedermeier period began in the states of the German Confederation and in the Austrian Empire in 1815 (Congress of Vienna) and ended in 1848 (March Revolution). The Biedermeier style referred mainly to the decorative arts, but also included sculpture and painting. In contrast to the opulence and heroism of Napoleon's Empire, the Biedermeier style promoted calm and simplicity. From 1830 onwards, it embodied a new, comfortable, bourgeois way of life. In furnishing, the emphasis was placed on the structure of the furniture that had robust and geometrical forms, softened by curves. The simplicity of the materials, mainly light woods, was compensated by the variety and exuberance of the forms the backrests of the seats were carved in fan shape, the armrests of the sofas rolled...

A French Louis XVI style giltwood canapé en corbeille from the 19th century, with carved flowers and new upholstery. Created in France during the 1...