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.
17th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
1880s Antique Baroque Furniture
Tapestry
1690s Spanish Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
18th Century Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Belgian Antique Baroque Furniture
Tapestry
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood, Paint
18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass, Copper
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Pine
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Terracotta
17th Century Swiss Antique Baroque Furniture
Paper
17th Century French Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Baroque Furniture
Giltwood
18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass
Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Earthenware
17th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak, Walnut
Mid-19th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
18th Century German Antique Baroque Furniture
Gesso, Giltwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
1690s British Antique Baroque Furniture
Canvas
Late 19th Century British Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass
18th Century Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique Baroque Furniture
Stone
1690s Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Beech
1670s English Antique Baroque Furniture
Paper
1690s Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Beech
1650s Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Baroque Furniture
Ormolu
1680s Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
17th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
1890s Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Metal, Iron
19th Century French Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
1910s English Vintage Baroque Furniture
Sterling Silver
1670s English Antique Baroque Furniture
Paper
1940s European Vintage Baroque Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood, Pine
19th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass
Early 18th Century Irish Antique Baroque Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Baroque Furniture
Pine
19th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
17th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood, Pine
19th Century French Antique Baroque Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Baroque Furniture
Ormolu
17th Century German Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
17th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Baroque Furniture
Brass
17th Century Belgian Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass
1670s English Antique Baroque Furniture
Paper
18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Metal
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Marble, Statuary Marble
1680s French Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
Late 17th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Birch
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Italian Baroque Furniture
Scagliola
Early 17th Century German Antique Baroque Furniture
Maple, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Antique Baroque Furniture
Giltwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
17th Century English Antique Baroque Furniture
Paper