Baroque Desks
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.
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Wood
18th Century English Antique Baroque Desks
Mahogany, Tulipwood
1930s Unknown Vintage Baroque Desks
Metal
Early 18th Century European Antique Baroque Desks
Wood
1690s Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Bone, Ebony, Rosewood
Mid-18th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Desks
Bronze
1720s English Antique Baroque Desks
Mirror, Walnut, Giltwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Baroque Desks
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Baroque Desks
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Baroque Desks
Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Baroque Desks
Wood, Leather
1740s Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Bone, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Baroque Desks
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Paint
Early 17th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Desks
Walnut
17th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Desks
Stone, Wrought Iron
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Fruitwood, Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Baroque Desks
Walnut, Burl
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Walnut
1750s German Antique Baroque Desks
Walnut
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Desks
Walnut
1750s German Antique Baroque Desks
Walnut
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Walnut, Burl
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Walnut
Late 17th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Desks
Oak, Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Walnut
Late 17th Century Belgian Antique Baroque Desks
Rosewood, Satinwood, Walnut
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Rosewood, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Baroque Desks
Rosewood
1930s American Vintage Baroque Desks
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century English Baroque Desks
Wood
20th Century English Baroque Desks
Leather, Walnut
Mid-18th Century English Antique Baroque Desks
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Baroque Desks
Leather, Mahogany, Rosewood
1940s English Vintage Baroque Desks
Leather, Wood
1850s Antique Baroque Desks
Mahogany
Early 20th Century English Baroque Desks
Leather, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century English Antique Baroque Desks
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Baroque Desks
Leather, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Pine
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Desks
Iron
1780s French Antique Baroque Desks
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Baroque Desks
Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Wood
17th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Desks
Other
19th Century Portuguese Antique Baroque Desks
Mahogany, Walnut
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Desks
Ormolu
19th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Desks
Metal, Brass
19th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Desks
Iron
1950s Italian Vintage Baroque Desks
Brass