Baroque Furniture
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-18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Ceramic
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Giltwood
1670s English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
Late 17th Century Welsh Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
Early 18th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass
1930s Canadian Vintage Baroque Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Earthenware
1850s Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Bone, Ebony
Late 17th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Gesso, Poplar
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Silk
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron
1740s South American Antique Baroque Furniture
Rosewood
1860s Belgian Antique Baroque Furniture
Bone, Tortoise Shell, Ebony
1710s English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
Late 17th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
18th Century and Earlier European Antique Baroque Furniture
Bronze
18th Century and Earlier English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
Late 17th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
18th Century and Earlier Welsh Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
18th Century and Earlier German Antique Baroque Furniture
Marble
1720s French Antique Baroque Furniture
Wrought Iron
1730s Irish Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
18th Century Danish Antique Baroque Furniture
Pine
19th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century Dutch Baroque Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
21st Century and Contemporary English Baroque Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Baroque Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Ceramic, Faience
Mid-18th Century Mexican Antique Baroque Furniture
Cedar
18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Delft
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Delft
Late 18th Century Swiss Antique Baroque Furniture
Iron
1730s Irish Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
Late 17th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
Mid-18th Century Austrian Antique Baroque Furniture
Pine
Mid-17th Century European Antique Baroque Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1890s European Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron
1670s English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
Late 17th Century European Antique Baroque Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron
Early 18th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-17th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
19th Century Antique Baroque Furniture
Lacquer
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron