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.
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wrought Iron
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century Unknown Baroque Furniture
Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
17th Century Portuguese Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
18th Century Portuguese Antique Baroque Furniture
Rosewood
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Leather, Fruitwood
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Glass, Beech
19th Century Unknown Antique Baroque Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
Early 20th Century European Baroque Furniture
Plaster
1820s Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Bronze
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Paper, Paint, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Giltwood, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
1980s Chinese Vintage Baroque Furniture
Wool, Silk
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Giltwood
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool, Silk
1980s Unknown Vintage Baroque Furniture
Wool, Silk
Early 18th Century German Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Giltwood
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool, Silk
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Paper, Paint, Wood, Ink
Early 18th Century German Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool, Silk
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool, Silk
17th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool, Silk
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool, Silk
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Marble
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool, Silk
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool, Silk
Early 2000s Chinese Baroque Furniture
Wool
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Metal, Wrought Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Baroque Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Scagliola, Giltwood
Early 18th Century French Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut, Fruitwood
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Tin
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Silver Leaf
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century Unknown Baroque Furniture
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Scagliola, Fruitwood