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.
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
17th Century Belgian Antique Baroque Furniture
Fruitwood
1770s German Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Marble
18th Century Portuguese Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Furniture
Iron
18th Century German Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut, Pine
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
1780s Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
17th Century European Antique Baroque Furniture
Textile
Mid-18th Century Antique Baroque Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
17th Century European Antique Baroque Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 18th Century Danish Antique Baroque Furniture
Giltwood, Mercury Glass
18th Century Dutch Antique Baroque Furniture
Oak
Early 1700s French Antique Baroque Furniture
Iron
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Gold Leaf
17th Century European Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century Danish Antique Baroque Furniture
Mahogany
17th Century European Antique Baroque Furniture
Pine
Late 18th Century German Antique Baroque Furniture
Meissen
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Mid-18th Century European Antique Baroque Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 17th Century European Antique Baroque Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Mid-18th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
Late 17th Century Portuguese Antique Baroque Furniture
Gold Leaf
17th Century Portuguese Antique Baroque Furniture
Brass
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut, Silk
Early 18th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Furniture
Wrought Iron
1740s European Antique Baroque Furniture
Boxwood
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Marble
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Marble
18th Century Portuguese Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
Mid-18th Century Russian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
1680s German Antique Baroque Furniture
Canvas
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut, Giltwood
Late 18th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Furniture
Iron
Early 1700s Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Fir
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Walnut
1790s Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Giltwood
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Canvas
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
Late 17th Century Spanish Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Nutwood
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Late 17th Century European Antique Baroque Furniture
Wool
18th Century French Antique Baroque Furniture
Porcelain
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Paint
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 17th Century French Antique Baroque Furniture
Wool
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Furniture
Wood, Lacquer