Empire Dining Room 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.
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 20th Century Empire Dining Room Chairs
Ebony
20th Century French Empire Dining Room Chairs
Brass, Bronze
2010s Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Metal
Early 20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
2010s Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Walnut
1930s French Vintage Empire Dining Room Chairs
Burlap, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany
1950s Italian Vintage Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1880s French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
Late 20th Century French Empire Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Empire Dining Room Chairs
Wood
20th Century Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
1960s American Vintage Empire Dining Room Chairs
Brass
Late 20th Century Asian Empire Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Boxwood, Kingwood, Rosewood, Satinwood
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Cherry, Fabric
1810s French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
1810s French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
20th Century Unknown Empire Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Dining Room Chairs
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Empire Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood, Paint
Late 20th Century Empire Dining Room Chairs
Ultrasuede, Wicker, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Ash
2010s Italian Empire Dining Room Chairs
Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Empire Dining Room Chairs
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Empire Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Elm
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Empire Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Elm
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Nickel
Early 20th Century European Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Nickel
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Cherry, Walnut
1830s Swedish Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
1810s Baltic Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Birch
19th Century French Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Damask, Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Cherry
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Dining Room Chairs
1920s French Vintage Empire Dining Room Chairs
Marble, Bronze
1940s American Vintage Empire Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
1980s Vintage Empire Dining Room Chairs
Cotton, Wood