Empire Seating
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.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
1810s Czech Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
2010s Italian Empire Seating
Gold Leaf
1810s Czech Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Pearwood, Lacquer
2010s Italian Empire Seating
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Beech, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Velvet, Wood
19th Century European Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery, Ash
19th Century North American Antique Empire Seating
Leather, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Wood
1830s European Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Italian Empire Seating
Fabric, Wood
19th Century American Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Empire Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
20th Century German Empire Seating
Birdseye Maple
20th Century Empire Seating
Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Empire Seating
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Empire Seating
Leather, Wood
20th Century French Empire Seating
Beech
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Seating
Pearwood, Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Seating
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Empire Seating
Bentwood
1810s Russian Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Empire Seating
Oak
20th Century French Empire Seating
Beech
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Birch
20th Century Empire Seating
Beech, Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Seating
Iron
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Seating
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Belgian Empire Seating
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Mahogany, Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Ormolu
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
20th Century Empire Seating
Wood, Beech
1940s American Vintage Empire Seating
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Silk, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
1840s Italian Antique Empire Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Seating
Bronze
Early 20th Century European Empire Seating
Mahogany
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Seating
Giltwood
19th Century American Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Seating
Upholstery, Elm
1940s American Vintage Empire Seating
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Wood, Maple
20th Century French Empire Seating
Metal
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Empire Seating
Wood, Fabric
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Seating
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Leather