It was unexpected that, at the age of 64, William IV was crowned king of England. He had two older brothers, yet the death of Prince Frederick put him in line for the British throne when George IV died in 1830. His reign was brief, as he died on June 20, 1837, but it was a pivotal time of change, with parliamentary reform leading to the present-day constitutional monarchy. Antique William IV–style furniture reflects this period of transition, with forms that bridged the neoclassicism of the preceding Regency style and the more extravagant Victorian style that would follow.
Inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, William IV designs were often more imposing than Regency furniture and featured decorative attributes. There were sofas balanced on lion’s feet and tables with brass fittings. But furnishings of this period were largely marked by straight lines and subdued ornamentation compared to those of the George IV era. William IV had an unassuming way about him and was much more formal, whereas the ruler who preceded him was a king of extravagance. George IV had an affinity for French decor and was heavily invested in overhauling the private residences at Windsor Castle.
Carvings on William IV four-poster beds and cabinets included scrolling shapes, lotus leaves and acanthus, while popular pieces like tilt-top tables and upholstered seating on caster legs provided flexible interiors. Richly toned woods like mahogany and rosewood were used for sideboards, bedposts boasting reeded details and dining chairs with intricate chair backs and turned front legs.
William IV left no legitimate heirs, so his young niece, Victoria, became queen. She would lead an era of taste in which the innovations of the Industrial Revolution allowed for manufacturing showier furniture to fill elaborate interiors. With its comparatively refined forms and restrained designs, William IV style was a pause before a time of radical aesthetic change.
Find a collection of authentic William IV tables, armchairs, decorative objects and other 19th-century furniture and antiques on 1stDibs.
Pair of John Gould Hand Colored Framed Lithographs Family of Toucans, Circa 1840
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of John Gould hand colored framed lithographs family of toucans. "Pteroglossus Inscriptus" and " Pteroglossus Hypoglaurus" Each signed in plate. Printed by Charles Hullmandell. ...
Glass, Giltwood, Paper
$5,950 / set
Set of Four Animal Stone Lithographs
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Intriguing set of four 19th century hand colored stone lithographs depicting animal species by the prolific Swiss artist and print maker Karl Joseph Brodtmann. Presented under glass ...
Mahogany
Antique Satricial Hand Colored Etching Titled Monstrosities Of 1821
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Satirical hand colored etching titled Monstrosities of 1821 depicting a promenade in one of the London parks, displaying exaggerated fashions. Print created by George Cruikshank. Pub...
Glass, Wood, Paper
Cy Twombly Abstract Gaeta Lithographs Group of Four
By Cy Twombly
Located in Atlanta, GA
Group of Four Abstract Photolithographs on Vellum by Cy Twombly, from the limited edition "Gaeta" portfolio produced by Hine Editions, San Francisco, CA, circa 1987. They have been p...
Glass, Wood, Paper
Four Vintage Lithographs after Henri Matisse.
Located in Stamford, CT
Four lithographs by Henri Matisse framed using acid free materials in handmade frames. Priced per frame.
Paper
Set of 3 Framed 18th C. Italian Lithographs
Located in East Point, GA
A set of three custom framed lithographs by Italian print maker Marco Carloni ( 1742-1796 ). These classical Italian drawings, engraved in the 18th century, have each been presented ...
Glass, Wood, Paper
Set Of 4 Vintage Bookplate Lithographs With Cattle
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Set of four vintage bookplate prints depicting Short-Horn Ox and Short-Horn Bulls set against the English countryside. Presented in customized older wooden frames, sage mat and glaz...
Glass, Wood, Paper
$750
H 20.5 in W 27.5 in D 0.1 in
Antique Architectural Etching of the Roman Colosseum by Luigi Rossini Dated 1821
Located in Rochester, NY
The Roman Colosseum by Luigi Rossini. Signed and dated in the plate 1821. Unframed. Etching from Luigi Rossini's (Italy, 1790-1857) "Le antichita romane; ossia, Raccolta delle piu in...
Paper
Set of Four 19th Century Equestrian Prints
Located in Long Island City, NY
Set of four 19th century equestrian prints.
Antique Hand Colored Print of Chinese Life
Located in Rochester, NY
Early 19th century hand colored engraving of Chinese life. Original print from "The punishments of China" illustrated by twenty-two engravings by Mason, George Henry; Dadley, J. P. P...
Paint, Paper
$1,890 / set
H 13.75 in W 11.75 in D 2.5 in
Set of Four 18th Century Animal Engravings After Jacques E. de Sève, Framed
By Jacques Eustache de Seve
Located in Morristown, NJ
Set of Four 18th Century Animal Engravings After Jacques E. de Sève, Framed A beautifully presented set of four 18th-century animal engravings after Jacques Eustache de Sève (French...
Mirror, Wood, Paper
$800 / set
H 8.71 in W 11.26 in D 0.01 in L 8.71 in
Set of Four Antique Equestrian Lithographs, England c.1840
Located in Langweer, NL
Set of Four Antique Sporting Horse Lithographs – Sweetbryer, Sweetwilliam, Pericles & Micklethwait's Hunter, Hullmandel c.1840 A decorative set of four original nineteenth-century s...
Paper
Set of Four Steeplechase Prints by Thomas Blinks
Located in Vista, CA
"The Steeplechase," circa 1900, a group of four colored prints, presented in wide oak frames. Thomas Blinks, the foremost sporting and animal painter of his generation, circa 1860-1912.
Paper
$1,250 / set
H 10.5 in W 14.25 in D 0.75 in
Dan Flavin Abstract Lithographs Mid Century Modern Art Set of Four
By Dan Flavin 1
Located in Atlanta, GA
Set of Four Abstract Lithographs, by Dan Flavin, American, circa 1970s. They have been professionally framed under UV resistant glass. They measure 10.5" x 14.25"W, framed. The litho...
Glass, Wood, Paper
John Gould Lithograph from 'The Birds of Great Britain'
By John Gould
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
John Gould (British, 1804-1881), 'Bubulcus Russatus', Buff Backed Heron, from 'The Birds of Great Britain', hand colored lithograph, published 1...
Paper
18th Century French Hand Colored Etching of an Elephant Skeleton
By Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
Located in Stamford, CT
A beautifully rendered etching with hand coloring depicting the skeleton of an elephant on a pedestal. A live elephant, foliage and huts in the background. French, 18th century by Georges Le Clerc...
Paper
Antique Hand Colored Print of European Notable c 1800's A
Located in Pasadena, CA
Antique Hand Colored Print of European Notable c 1800's in Original Octagonal Frame with Printed Round Mat, Italian. 11" x 11" x 1" h
Wood, Paper
Antique Hand Colored Print of European Notable c 1800's B
Located in Pasadena, CA
Antique Hand Colored Print of European Notable c 1800's in Original Octagonal Frame with Printed Round Mat, Italian. 11" x 11" x 1" h
Wood, Paper
Sold
H 9.26 in W 8.86 in D 0.4 in
1833 a Collection of Eight Lithographs "Residence In The Arctic Regions"
Located in Lowestoft, GB
A fine collection of eight hand tinted lithographs "residence in the arctic regions" during 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833 published by A.W Webster, 156 Regent Street London Each e...
Paper
Sold
H 22 in W 25 in D 1 in
Early 19th Century Aquatint Engraving of Margrave by John Frederick Herring Snr
By John Frederick Herring Sr.
Located in Dallas, TX
Presenting a fabulous and very rare, original early-19th century chromolithograph engraving after a painting by John Frederick Herring Snr, engraved by Cha...
Paper