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Empire Wall Decorations

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
Selection of Black and White Abstract Prints
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of black and white abstract prints. From left to right, they are: 1) Abstract lithograph by Terry Haan, circa 1960s. Pencil s...
Category

1820s Austrian Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Alabaster, Bronze

19th Century Impressionist Oil Painting, Original Frame, Eugene Delacroix, 1830s
By Eugène Delacroix
Located in Berlin, DE
Oil painting (framed) Artist: Unknown (style of Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863). Date: 19th century Title: French lieutenant on horseback leading a Bedouin cavalry. Medium: Oil on...
Category

1830s French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Mid 20th century frame Italian bisque Taglio
Located in Allentown, PA
This is a mid 20th century Italian frame bisque Taglio. This Greco Roman style bisque porcelain medallion is framed in a gold leaf shadowbox frame with pink interior and gold details...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Porcelain

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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Tin

Painting, Oil on Canvas, Portrait of a Man, Empire Period
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
"Painting, oil on canvas, portrait of a man, Empire Period" Beautiful 19th century portrait of a man, oil on canvas, Empire Period fr...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas, Paint

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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Early 19th Century French Hand Painted Crest on Metal in Carved Gilt Frame
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate an office or study with this elegant antique wall decor. Crafted in France circa 1830, and set in the original carved gilt frame, the art w...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Sheet Metal

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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Glass, Wood, Giltwood

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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Paper

Late 19th Century French Portrait Actress Madam George
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Late 19th Century French Portrait Actress Madam George. Excellent Condition, Beautiful painting purchased in France. Age appropriate wear, see detailed photos or message us with an...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Bronze

19th Century French Hand Painted Wallpaper Frieze Second Empire Era
Located in Sofia, BG
19th century roll of wallpaper frieze in trompe-l'oeil ribbon on an 8-way roll. About 61 m/0.05 cm. useful. Second Empire era, polychrome printing. ...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

French 1825 Hand Written Letter Artwork in Burl Wood Frame
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Custom burl wood framed art that features an antiquarian handwritten letter in French, dated "Paris Le 6 Novembre 1825". This versatile artwork and can be displayed in any living roo...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Paper, Burl

Coqueret, View of Paris N°12, Color Print, Early 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Henri Courvoisier-Voisin & Pierre-Charles Coqueret, signed. Colors print untitled “View of Paris n°12 From the Pont au Change, Notre-Dame and the Pont Marie took between the Pontn...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Mid-19th Century French Empire Carved Painted "Tabernacle" Wall Cabinet
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant and petite antique vitrine was crafted in France, circa 1860. Originally used as a tabernacle in a church or chapel, the hanging cabinet features a dome top over a singl...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Walnut

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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Glass, Wood, Giltwood, 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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Paint, Paper

Vintage Woven Tapestry 9X2.4
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Woven Still Life Tapestry 7.0X5.65
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool

C1872 French Painting of Gypsy Woman with a Parrot
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
C1872 French Painting of Gypsy Woman with a Parrot Beautifully Painted. Very Crisp. Unique piece purchased in France. Age appropriate wear, see detailed photos. Message us with any...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Royalty and Majestic Animals 6.3X6.1
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Late 20th Century Vintage Tapestry 5.35X5.7
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Pair of Ormolu and Turquin Grey Marble Wall Mahogany Framed Armorial Plaques
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A pair of armorial Ormolu mounts and Turquin grey marble wall plaques presented in mahogany frames with gilded bronze mounts and banding.
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Marble, Ormolu

Floral Vintage Tapestry in Blue & Tan 11.9X9.3
Located in Los Angeles, US
The art of tapestry weaving is an exceptional art different than any other weaving art. Based on a design cartoon, the background, pattern, and every element is woven over a warp wit...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Royalty 8X6.5
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Angels 7.2X5.4
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

18th Century French Giltwood Framed Oil Painting Portrait of a Woman
Located in Queens, NY
French (18th century) oil painting portrait of a woman holding grapes sitting next to a dog in a rectangular carved giltwood frame.
Category

Mid-18th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood, Paint

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Royal Figures 6.11X6
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood, Paint

Vintage Animalia Tapestry 7.3 X 6.2
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Woven Fight Scene Tapestry 8.0X3.6
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Farmers 6X5.6
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Royalty 5.7X6.7
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Late 20th Century Vintage Tapestry 8.0X7.0
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Woven Scene Tapestry 7.7X6.5
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Late 20th Century Vintage Tapestry
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Children at Play 10.3X7.4
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

French Grisaille (Grey) Tapestry Portrait of Napoleon Bicorne Hat & Greatcoat
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
French Grisaille (Grey) Tapestry Portrait of Napoleon Bicorne Hat and Greatcoat France, circa 1920s  Capture a piece of French history with this exquisite Grisaille (Grey) Tapestry ...
Category

Early 20th Century French Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Grape Harvest 7.8X4.11
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Angels 7.3X5.6
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Ormolu

Set of Two 19th Century French Hand-Colored Regional Maps
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
These historical regional maps depict the “Dépt de la Moselle" (Department of Moselle) and the Departement de Gard in France. Both pieces date back to the 19th Century, given their s...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Paper

Vintage Woven Scene Tapestry 7.5X6.0
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Royalty 5.7X4
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry With Birds and Animals 6.7X4.5
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

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 Wall Decorations

Materials

Giltwood

Vintage Woven Throne Scene Tapestry 7.9X6.9
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

G Longhi, Il Genio De La Musica - Cupido, Framed Engraving, 19th Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
"il genio de la musica vince per fin Cupido" / the Genius of Music triumphant over Love, based on a 17th century work by Guido Reni, kept at the Palazzo Spinola in Genoa. This frame...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

J.L. Jensen - 19th Century Danish Golden Age Oil Painting of Kingfishers
Located in Kastrup, DK
Johan Laurentz Jensen (J. L. Jensen), 1800–1856 Painting: A detailed and vividly colored bird motif depicting a pair of kingfishers (Halcyon cyanoventris) nestled in lush green foli...
Category

Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood

Vintage Floral Tapestry in Red & Tan 8.1X3.1
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Woven Scene Tapestry 7.7X6.55
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry Depicting an Exotic Bird 7.9X5.2
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Woven Figural Tapestry 7.8X5.6
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

19 Century Italian Clock Landscape Painting
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
An early/mid-19th century Italian clock painting indistinctly signed on the lower right corner. The oil painting is set in a period Empire gilt frame and d...
Category

Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas

Elegant Plaque in cast iron, Swedish King Karl XVI Johan from the 1820s
Located in Knivsta, SE
Elegant Plaque in cast iron. Swedish King Karl XVI Johan as a Roman General from the 1820s. Made by Finspång Bruk in Östergötland, Sweden Wear consistent with age and use
Category

1820s Swedish Antique Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Iron

Vintage Floral Hanging Tapestry 10.0X4.0
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Woven Ship Tapestry 7.7X6.5
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Royalty 6.0X6.11
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Tapestry Depicting Royalty 6X5.2
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Wall Decorations

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Empire wall decorations for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Empire wall decorations for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage wall decorations created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, more furniture and collectibles, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with fabric, cotton and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire wall decorations made in a specific country, there are Unknown, Europe, and France pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original wall decorations, popular names associated with this style include Chapin, Claude Marie Dubufe, Cupioli made in Italy, and Jean Zuber. 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 wall decorations 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 $4,061.

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