Renaissance Wall Decorations
Spanning an era of cultural rebirth in Europe that harkened back to antiquity, the Renaissance was a time of change in design. From the late 1400s to the early 1600s, Rome, Venice and Florence emerged as artistic centers through the expansion of global trade and a humanist belief in the arts being central to society. Antique Renaissance furniture was ornately carved from sturdy woods like walnut, its details standing out against the tapestries and stained glass adorning the walls.
Renaissance chests, which were frequently commissioned for marriages, were often decorated with gilding or painted elements. Those that were known as cassoni were crafted in shapes based on classical sarcophagi. As opposed to the medieval era, when furniture was pared down to the necessities, a wide range of Renaissance chairs, tables and cabinets were created for the home, and the designs regularly referenced ancient Rome.
Large torchères of the Renaissance era that were used as floor lamps were inspired by classical candelabras, while marble surfaces evoked frescoes. The inlaid boxes being imported from the Middle East informed the intarsia technique, which involved varying hues of wood in mosaic-like patterns, such as those by architect Giuliano da Maiano in the Florence Cathedral.
Tapestry-woven cushion covers accented the variety of Renaissance seating — from conversation to study chairs — while bookcases for secular use reflected the migration of culture and knowledge from the church into the home. The aesthetics of the Italian Renaissance later spread to France through the publishing of work by renowned designers, including Hugues Sambin and Jacques Androuet du Cerceau. Centuries later, the 19th-century Renaissance Revival would see a return to this influential style.
Find a collection of antique Renaissance case pieces, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Metallic Thread
18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas, Paint
1850s English Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper
17th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Wood, Giltwood
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Maiolica
1990s Italian Renaissance Wall Decorations
Travertine
1790s Greek Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
1850s English Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-20th Century Italian Renaissance Wall Decorations
Silk
1850s English Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paint
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas
1850s English Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper
1920s German Vintage Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas, Paint
Late 20th Century American Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paint
Late 18th Century Unknown Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas, Wood
Late 20th Century Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas, Paint
16th Century German Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paint
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Silk
1950s Belgian Vintage Renaissance Wall Decorations
Wool, Cotton
Late 18th Century French Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas, Paint
Mid-20th Century French Renaissance Wall Decorations
Cotton
19th Century European Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Wrought Iron
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper, Giltwood
1880s Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century French Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas
Early 20th Century German Renaissance Wall Decorations
Porcelain
17th Century Greek Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Tin
Late 18th Century European Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Silk
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Copper
1850s English Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Ebony
Mid-19th Century German Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
1850s English Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Wall Decorations
Limestone
Mid-19th Century English Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas
1850s English Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Wood, Giltwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Metallic Thread
16th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Other
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
16th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Renaissance Wall Decorations
Glass, Mahogany
Early 1800s Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Wood, Gesso, Canvas
Mid-19th Century European Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Oak
17th Century Belgian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Tapestry, Wool
20th Century Renaissance Wall Decorations
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Ceramic
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Wall Decorations
Paper