Baroque Bookcases
The decadence of the Baroque style, in which ornate furnishings were layered against paneled walls, painted ceilings, stately chandeliers and, above all, gilding, expressed the power of the church and monarchy through design that celebrated excess. And its influence was omnipresent — antique Baroque furniture was created in the first design style that truly had a global impact.
Theatrical and lavish, Baroque was prevalent across Europe from the 17th to mid-18th century and spread around the world through colonialism, including in Asia, Africa and the Americas. While Baroque originated in Italy and achieved some of its most fantastic forms in the late-period Roman Baroque, it was adapted to meet the tastes and materials in each region. French Baroque furniture informed Louis XIV style and added drama to Versailles. In Spain, the Baroque movement influenced the elaborate Churrigueresque style in which architecture was dripping with ornamental details. In South German Baroque, furniture was made with bold geometric patterns.
Compared to Renaissance furniture, which was more subdued in its proportions, Baroque furniture was extravagant in all aspects, from its shape to its materials.
Allegorical and mythical figures were often sculpted in the wood, along with motifs like scrolling floral forms and acanthus leaves that gave the impression of tangles of dense foliage. Novel techniques and materials such as marquetry, gesso and lacquer — which were used with exotic woods and were employed by cabinetmakers such as André-Charles Boulle, Gerrit Jensen and James Moore — reflected the growth of international trade. Baroque furniture characteristics include a range of decorative elements — a single furnishing could feature everything from carved gilded wood to gilt bronze, lending chairs, mirrors, console tables and other pieces a sense of motion.
Find a collection of authentic antique Baroque tables, lighting, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Spruce
17th Century Belgian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Wood
20th Century American Baroque Bookcases
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Baroque Bookcases
Glass, Wood
1720s English Antique Baroque Bookcases
Mirror, Walnut, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Walnut
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Metal, Chrome
18th Century Antique Baroque Bookcases
Wood
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Walnut
2010s Italian Baroque Bookcases
Iron
18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Bookcases
Wood
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Walnut
2010s Italian Baroque Bookcases
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Late 19th Century French Antique Baroque Bookcases
Bronze
1720s Italian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Pine
2010s Italian Baroque Bookcases
Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Baroque Bookcases
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
2010s Italian Baroque Bookcases
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Stained Glass, Walnut
1960s French Vintage Baroque Bookcases
Wood
Late 18th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Glass, Walnut
Early 18th Century French Antique Baroque Bookcases
Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Baroque Bookcases
Walnut, Burl
Early 18th Century European Antique Baroque Bookcases
Walnut, Oak
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Marble
Mid-17th Century European Antique Baroque Bookcases
Wood, Giltwood
1870s French Antique Baroque Bookcases
Oak, Pine
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Iron
17th Century Antique Baroque Bookcases
Wood
17th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Walnut
17th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Walnut
Early 1900s American Antique Baroque Bookcases
Bamboo, Organic Material
Early 19th Century English Antique Baroque Bookcases
Mahogany
20th Century American Baroque Bookcases
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Wood
Late 20th Century Baroque Bookcases
Oak
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Pine
19th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Brass, Iron
Mid-18th Century Norwegian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Oak
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Walnut
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Oak
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Bookcases
Burl, Mahogany
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Walnut
18th Century Scandinavian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Pine
18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Bookcases
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Bookcases
Wood