Empire Chairs
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.
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Silk, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Empire Chairs
Leather, Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Chairs
Upholstery, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Chairs
Brass, Ormolu
19th Century European Antique Empire Chairs
Ormolu
1820s Italian Antique Empire Chairs
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
19th Century Antique Empire Chairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Cherry
19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Empire Chairs
Metal, Brass
Late 20th Century Empire Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century French Empire Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Wood
1830s French Antique Empire Chairs
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Chairs
Walnut
1810s French Antique Empire Chairs
Walnut
Early 19th Century American Antique Empire Chairs
Mahogany, Cane
Early 20th Century Hungarian Empire Chairs
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Chairs
Nickel
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Giltwood, Ebony
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
1810s Russian Antique Empire Chairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Chairs
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Bronze
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Chairs
Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Mahogany
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Chairs
1820s American Antique Empire Chairs
Wood
1810s French Antique Empire Chairs
Mahogany
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Chairs
Wood, Giltwood, Upholstery
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Bronze
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Chairs
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Mahogany
1810s French Antique Empire Chairs
19th Century French Antique Empire Chairs
Giltwood
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Empire Chairs
Fruitwood
19th Century English Antique Empire Chairs
Cane, Birdseye Maple