Baroque Chairs
The decadence of the Baroque style, in which ornate furnishings were layered against paneled walls, painted ceilings, stately chandeliers and, above all, gilding, expressed the power of the church and monarchy through design that celebrated excess. And its influence was omnipresent — antique Baroque furniture was created in the first design style that truly had a global impact.
Theatrical and lavish, Baroque was prevalent across Europe from the 17th to mid-18th century and spread around the world through colonialism, including in Asia, Africa and the Americas. While Baroque originated in Italy and achieved some of its most fantastic forms in the late-period Roman Baroque, it was adapted to meet the tastes and materials in each region. French Baroque furniture informed Louis XIV style and added drama to Versailles. In Spain, the Baroque movement influenced the elaborate Churrigueresque style in which architecture was dripping with ornamental details. In South German Baroque, furniture was made with bold geometric patterns.
Compared to Renaissance furniture, which was more subdued in its proportions, Baroque furniture was extravagant in all aspects, from its shape to its materials.
Allegorical and mythical figures were often sculpted in the wood, along with motifs like scrolling floral forms and acanthus leaves that gave the impression of tangles of dense foliage. Novel techniques and materials such as marquetry, gesso and lacquer — which were used with exotic woods and were employed by cabinetmakers such as André-Charles Boulle, Gerrit Jensen and James Moore — reflected the growth of international trade. Baroque furniture characteristics include a range of decorative elements — a single furnishing could feature everything from carved gilded wood to gilt bronze, lending chairs, mirrors, console tables and other pieces a sense of motion.
Find a collection of authentic antique Baroque tables, lighting, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Baroque Chairs
Gold Leaf
1740s South American Antique Baroque Chairs
Rosewood
Early 18th Century Portuguese Antique Baroque Chairs
Walnut
Early 1900s Maghreb Antique Baroque Chairs
Beech
18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Chairs
Oak
1750s Italian Antique Baroque Chairs
Walnut
18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Chairs
Leather
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Chairs
Velvet, Walnut
18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Chairs
Oak
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Chairs
Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Chairs
Oak
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Chairs
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Portuguese Antique Baroque Chairs
Giltwood
Late 18th Century Antique Baroque Chairs
Walnut
Late 18th Century Antique Baroque Chairs
Walnut
Early 18th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Chairs
Oak
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Chairs
Leather, Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Chairs
Leather, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Antique Baroque Chairs
Fabric, Paint, Wood
19th Century European Antique Baroque Chairs
Wood