With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Pair, Gustavian Style Wingback Arm Chairs from Sweden, circa 1920-40
Located in Round Top, TX
Graceful with a romantic air, this pair of Gustavian style wingback armchairs have delicate carving along the skirt skirt and rest on turned fluted legs. This pair of armchairs are r...
Linen, Wood, Paint
Pair, Gustavian Style Wingback Gray Chairs, Sweden circa 1920-40
Located in Round Top, TX
Graceful with a romantic air, this pair of Gustavian style wingback armchairs have delicate carving along frame,crown and skirt and rest on cabriolet legs. This pair of arm chairs ar...
Linen, Wood, Paint
$1,250 / set
H 43 in W 31.5 in D 32 in
Vintage Woodmark Originals Queen Anne Style Mahogany Wingback Chairs - a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Woodmark Originals Queen Anne Style Mahogany Wingback Chairs - a Pair. Circa Late 20th Century. Measurements: 43" H x 31.5" W x 32" D x 19.5"...
Mahogany
$1,645Sale Price|30% Off
H 45 in W 34 in D 28 in
Antique German Biedermeier Mahogany Fauteuil Wingback Library Arm Chair
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique mid to early 19th century German Biedermeier library / lounge armchair. Made of mahogany featuring traditional form with fauteuil padded arms and flared ear / wing back with...
Upholstery, Mahogany
Pair Queen Anne Style Wingback Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Queen Anne style wingback chairs upholstered in linen. Has mahogany claw feet.
Linen, Mahogany
Georgian Style Wingback Chairs, Pair
By Kindel Furniture, Baker Furniture Company, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Southampton, NJ
Unique Chippendale style pair of chairs with lovely small scale silhouettes, curved stretchers in golden butter Damask upholstery. We love the Georgian design elements in the curved ...
Damask, Walnut
Wingback Chair from USA
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A well-proportioned wingback chair having a rectilinear base in quarter-sawn oak, fully upholstered arms, expressive shortened wings and a down-filled seat cushion.
Wood
Pair Louis XVI Style Bergere á Oreilles Wingback Chairs
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Grand pair of french mahogany bergere á oreilles or wingback chairs made in the Louis XVI taste. The chairs feature tall carved frames with gracefully curved wings. The generous seat...
Brass
$5,800 / set
H 41.5 in W 34 in D 34 in
Pair of English Georgian Style Ruby Red Leather Wingback Chairs
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Stunning pair of mid-century leather wingback chairs or wing chairs featuring a dramatic ruby red leather upholstery. Made in the grand English Georgian taste with a mahogany hardwoo...
Brass
$4,500
H 36 in W 28 in D 34 in
Danish Cabinetmaker Wingback / Lounge Chair, Scroll Arm, Flemming Lassen Style
Located in Manhasset, NY
Danish Cabinetmaker Wingback / Lounge Chair, Scroll Arm, Flemming Lassen Style Chic mid-century wingback lounge or arm chair designed and produced in Denmark, circa 1950s. Newly upho...
Velvet, Oak
$1,925Sale Price|30% Off
H 47 in W 32.5 in D 32.5 in
Antique French Louis XVI Style Figural Carved Walnut Bergere Wingback Arm Chair
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique French Louis XVI style Bergere library wingback reading chair, circa 1890-1910. Made from walnut with a striking pediment featuring a quiver, arrows and torch amongst roses ...
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century Georgian Style Wingback Chairs
Located in Pomona, CA
Antique Georgian circa 1850 Wingback armchairs with ornately carved cabriole legs and William Morris style flat top arms. The chairs have been recovered in a green mohair fabric. Th...
Mohair, Wood
$6,200 / set
H 41 in W 26 in D 30 in
Pair of Modern Gio Ponti Style Leather and Upholstery Wingback Chairs
By Gio Ponti
Located in San Francisco, CA
A pair of stylish and comfortable modern wingback chairs in the unique design style of Gio Ponti. Two-tone, tan leather with ivory color upholstery, and ebonized legs. Contemporary...
Leather, Upholstery
Chippendale Wingback Chairs Pair
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on "Read More" or "View More Details" below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing is from 1st Dibs and they normally s...
Mahogany, Cotton
Pair, Swedish White Painted Wingback Arm Chairs, circa 1910
Located in Round Top, TX
Graceful with a romantic air, this pair of Gustavian style wingback arm chairs still maintain their charming original white paint, lightly scraped r...
Linen, Wood, Paint
Sold
H 47.64 in W 25.2 in D 28.75 in
Half 19th Century White Gustavian Swedish Model Lounge Chair by Petersen Denmark
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
Very rare and beautiful half 19th century white, with golden accents, Gustavian / Swedish model wingback lounge chair made by One Christian Petersen in Copenhagen. This tall chair is...
Gold Leaf
Large 19th Century Painted Wingback Armchair
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Fine 19th century wingback armchair of large proportions, circa 1880. Very comfortable chair with elegant lines. Carved scroll arms, standing on fluted tapering legs. Upholster...
Wood
Pair of 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Style Bergeres
Located in Houston, TX
Gorgeous pair of Swedish Gustavian Style painted and gilt bergeres. Professionally upholstered in oatmeal linen with down wrapped cushion and spaced French brass nailhead detail. ...
French Style Cane Wingback Canopy Porters Chair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A very well made hood chair in solid mahogany. It features a distressed finish, two layers of caning, and upholstered seat and arms.
Cane, Fabric, Wood