Empire Decorative Art
EMPIRE STYLE
From 1804–15, Napoléon I reigned as the emperor of France, bringing the country into a new era of opulence after the fall of the monarchy and the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. He declared, “We must have very solid things, made to last 100 years.” Empire-style furniture followed suit, with imposing pieces constructed from mahogany and adorned with gilded ornaments. Expanding on the neoclassicism popularized in the previous century — such as in Louis XVI style — Empire style borrowed from the great civilizations of antiquity, from Egypt to Greece and Rome, to connect this nascent empire to the power of the past.
Napoléon I believed the production of fine furniture would reflect the stature of the republic, with his official architects Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine leading the way with their work on his residences.
Luxurious materials, symmetrical shapes and bold colors characterize antique Empire-style bedroom furniture, armchairs, cabinets and other structures, with frequent motifs including mythological creatures, geometric designs, acanthus leaves, eagles, bees (the imperial emblem) and swans, a favorite of Empress Joséphine.
Flat surfaces, like marble tabletops, were accented with decadent details, such as the bronze furniture mounts made by sculptor Pierre-Philippe Thomire for the French palaces. Martin-Guillaume Biennais, who worked as the imperial goldsmith, crafted intricate luxury objects that mixed wood, fine metal, mother-of-pearl and ivory. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
The style became popular abroad, influencing the American Empire style. Stately pieces carved with sprigs of olives by cabinetmaker Pierre-Antoine Bellange were acquired by American President James Monroe for the White House in 1817.
Find a collection of antique Empire tables, lighting, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Style: Empire
Period Giltwood Large Italian Empire Frame
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful Italian Empire original giltwood frame.
Early 19th century.
Internal measurements cm 37.5 x 45.5.
Every item of our Gallery, upon request, is accompanied by a certific...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Wood
Period Century Giltwood Italian Empire Style Frame
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful Italian Empire original giltwood frame with two rows of carving
Early 19th century
Internal measurements cm 58.5 x 47
Every item of our Gallery, upon request, is accompan...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Wood
Gilt Antique Friezes from France
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
Pair of antique golden friezes with olive branches. They are from the French Empire period and are perfect.
ref. O/7147.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Fruitwood
$1,787 / set
Louis Vuitton Large LV Suitcase Artwork Print in Gilt Frame
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Louis Vuitton Print from Paris, France framed in a vintage wooden Gold Leaf frame. The artwork features iconic Louis Vuitton words and letters artistically arranged. Similar piece ca...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Wood, Paint, Paper, Giltwood
20th Century French Oil Painting of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor by S. Chapin
By Chapin
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage French oil on canvas painting of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor in a hand carved original gilded wooden frame, painted by S. Chapin in good condition. The wall décor art pie...
Category
Early 20th Century French Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Canvas, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Painted Wood Empire Folding Screen in Gilt Bronze Frame
Located in Firenze, IT
This one-of-a-kind antique Italian Empire Period folding screen is a masterpiece of early 19th-century craftsmanship, dating most likely from 1801 during the Republic of Lucca.
Pain...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century Pair of Reverse Glass Paintings by Lebelle
Located in Paris, FR
Pair of reverse glass paintings in gouache depicting two landscapes. One of them features a castle and a bath scene, the other one animals and various chara...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Giltwood, Paint
Wall Decoration 'En Grisaille' by Dufour, Paris, France, 19th Century
Located in Rome, IT
A fPapiers peints 'En Grisaille' from the psyche´ series manufactured by Dufour, Paris, after designs by Merry-Joseph Blondel and Louis Lafitte.
-'Psyche´ about to stab the sleeping ...
Category
19th Century European Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Louis Vuitton Trunks Suitcases Monogram Art Print Framed
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Louis Vuitton Print from Paris, France framed in a vintage wooden black painted frame. The artwork features the iconic Louis Vuitton suitcases artistically stacked. Similar piece can...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Wood, Paint, Paper
18th Century French Gilded Pinewood Wall Glass Mirror - Antique Wall Décor
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique rectangular mirror inscribed in a Pinewwood frame, gilded, the pediment formed by an openwork flower basket spilling sinuous gar...
Category
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Mirror, Giltwood, Pine
Louis Vuitton Trunks Suitcases Monogram Art Print Framed
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Louis Vuitton Print from Paris, France framed in a vintage wooden Gold Leaf frame. The artwork features the iconic Louis Vuitton suitcases artistically stacked. Similar piece can be ...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Wood, Paper, Paint
Zabihi Collection Jewel Tone Superfine Antique Persian Jozan Souf Mat
Located in New York, NY
An early 20th century collector caliber Persian Souf carpet handwoven in the Jozan Region.
Measures: 2'3" x 2'7"
Souf rugs are very rare technique foun...
Category
Early 20th Century Persian Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Wool
Period Giltwood Italian Empire Style Frame
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful Italian Empire original giltwood frame.
Early 19th Century
Internal measurements cm 13 x 10
Every item of our Gallery, upon request, is accompanied by a certifica...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Wood
French Empire Yellow Tole Lavabo
Located in Essex, MA
With a removable cover with gallery and finial, tapered body with spigot lacking handle, all above the rectangular basin.
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Tin
Wallpaper "Zeus Fed by the Goat Amalthée", Empire Period
Located in Paris, FR
Empire period wallpaper with mythological subject representing Zeus fed by the goat Amalthée. The wallpaper is divided into four strips and is laminated on a composite wood panel and...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Wood, Paper
French 1st Empire Period Dore Bronze Grouping of Lovers, Att. Thomire A Paris
Located in New York, NY
An Exceptional Antique French 1st Empire Period Dore Bronze Grouping of Lovers, Attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire a Paris. Exceptionally cast, hand-chiseled and further burnished and matted with two-tone gold, this dore bronze grouping of two neoclassical lovers is of the upmost quality and craftsmanship. As Pierre-Philippe Thomire is regarded as one of the greatest bronzier's of the late 18th century and early 19th century, this dore bronze piece could only be made by someone with his artistic talents. The lovers are seen with the man seated on a cushioned bench with tasseled...
Category
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Bronze
19th Century Pair of French Reverse Painted Profile Silhouettes Art
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
This charming set features framed silhouettes of a young woman and young man from the 19th Century on reversed glass. Wonderful addition to add to an existing collection on a wall or...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Glass, Wood, Giltwood, Paper
Zabihi Collection Pair of Persian Jozan Sarouk Rugs
Located in New York, NY
An early 20th-century pair of Persian Sarouk Jozan Rugs. $ 1,500 each if purchased individually.
Details
rug no. j4476
size 1' 7" x 2' 6" (48 x 76 cm)
rug type Sarouk
Category
Early 20th Century Persian Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Wool
French Empire Period Pastel and Gouache Painting, circa 1810 in Giltwood Frame
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Empire period floral pastel and gouache painting from the early 19th century, in giltwood frame. This French painting features an exquisite depiction of a bouquet of flowers set inside a metal vase, adorned in its upper section with what could be waterleaves. It is the exuberant bouquet that attracts all of our attention, with its variety of flowers and abundance of colors. The pastel technique...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Giltwood, Paint
Antique Persian Souf Carpet
Located in New York, NY
An early 20th century Souf carpet woven somewhere in Iran. Whereabouts are unknown but we suspect it’s from the sarouk Jozan region.
2'1'' x 2'7''
Souf r...
Category
Early 20th Century Persian Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Wool
$5,200 Sale Price
20% Off
Pair of Small Reverse Painted Glass Portraits of Nobility in Burl Wood Frames
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
European Hinter Glass Painted Portraits of Nobility in Burl Wood Frames.
These small charming burl wood framed portraits of Wolfe and Lafayette could be English or French. They are ...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Glass, Burl
$540 Sale Price
20% Off
18th Century Gold French Gilded Wood Barometer, Antique Parisian Thermometer
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A rare antique finely worked French barometer with lyre shaped crest thermometer above a large hexagonal framed barometer. The Parisian décor piece is m...
Category
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Gilded Pinewood Wall Glass Mirror
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique rectangular mirror inscribed in a Pinewood, gilded frame adorned with water leaves and pearl friezes, in good condition. The mirror is consisting its original mirror glass...
Category
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Mirror, Giltwood
Pair of Worcester Barr Flight Barr Porcelain Saucers with Bat-Printed Shells
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A pair of early transferware English porcelain saucers, made by the Worcester Porcelain Factory during the Barr, Flight & Barr period, 1807-1813.
The late 18th and early 19th cent...
Category
Early 19th Century British Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Porcelain
Antique French Giltwood Barometer Thermometer, Circa 1815
Located in Dallas, TX
Although constructed circa 1815 as a scientific instrument, this French giltwood barometer is a beauty to behold. Our exquisite barometer has a unique composition, featuring an elong...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Glass, Wood, Giltwood
Large Pair of Sevres Style Napoleonic Painted Porcelain Chargers
Located in London, GB
A large pair of Sevres style Napoleonic painted porcelain chargers
French, 19th century
Measures: 2cm high x 45cm in diameter, frames 51cm diameter
Excellently painted and finely crafted, these unusually grand Sevres style painted porcelain chargers are adorned with scenes of French military victories. The first charger, marked 'Bataille de Wagram, 7 Juillet 1809' is after a painting by Horace Vernet of Napoleon at the Battle of Wagram, a decisive yet costly victory for the French allied forced over the Austrian army, and the second, after a painting by Francois Bouchot, depicts the Battle of Zurich (the charger is marked 'Bataille de Zurich 25 Septembre 1799') an earlier battle in which the Republican French army led by André Masséna triumphed over an Austrian and Russian force in Switzerland in 1799.
The works are each clasped with a gilt tooled border, and larger pink rose pompadour...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Empire French Hand Painted Wall Canvas Signed Louis A. David
Located in Dallas, TX
This monumental antique painted canvas titled "Le Cercle de Jeux" was created in France, circa 1810; the art work depicts a gambling scene in a very cozy game room. The scene features eighteen men dressed in authentic Empire clothing and playing cards game around three different tables. The canvas is signed on the bottom right Louis Alphonse David. The large wall decoration...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Canvas
Set of Antique Glazed Ceramic Tiles Depicting Napoleon
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
Eight 6-inch antique glazed ceramic tiles depicting Napoleon, 18th century French Emperor and military figure. Likely the central part of what was once a larger panel, these tiles are hand-painted in vibrant colours and detail, illustrating an adaption of Napoleon and his armies during the French Revolution.
The frontmost figure depicts the famed Napoleon Bonaparte, wearing his signature side to side bicorne hat, leading a procession of horses and an army of French foot soldiers.
Dating from the late 19th / early 20th century, it is a stunning antique tile panel...
Category
Early 20th Century French Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
French Sevres Green Ground Porcelain Framed Charger Napoleon Courting Josephine
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Large and very fine French Sevres green ground porcelain framed charger depicting the consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and coronation of the...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Art
Materials
Porcelain
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Empire decorative art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire decorative art for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage decorative art created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, decorative objects, mirrors and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire decorative art made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative art, popular names associated with this style include Chapin, and Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for decorative art differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $150 and tops out at $95,530 while the average work can sell for $3,625.
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