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.
1870s French Antique Empire Seating
Tapestry, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Cane, Fruitwood, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Swedish Empire Seating
Fabric, Birch
1990s Empire Seating
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
20th Century American Empire Seating
Wood
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Beech
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Seating
Wood
1870s Scandinavian Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Walnut
1980s American Vintage Empire Seating
Hardwood, Giltwood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Ebony, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Seating
Nickel
20th Century American Empire Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
1880s Czech Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
1820s European Antique Empire Seating
Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Walnut
Late 19th Century American Antique Empire Seating
Linen, Wood
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Seating
Iron
2010s Empire Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery
1940s American Vintage Empire Seating
Wood
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Seating
Fruitwood
1980s American Vintage Empire Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Cherry
Late 18th Century Baltic Antique Empire Seating
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Empire Seating
Iron
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Ormolu
1810s French Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
1920s Vintage Empire Seating
Giltwood
18th Century European Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Wool, Wood
1890s French Antique Empire Seating
Walnut, Fabric
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Beech
Early 20th Century Unknown Empire Seating
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Wood
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Beech
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Seating
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Wood, Fabric, Upholstery, Mahogany
1820s Danish Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany, Silk
1950s Danish Vintage Empire Seating
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
19th Century Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Giltwood
1980s Vintage Empire Seating
Leather, Wood, Cotton, Velvet
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Silk, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Wood