French Empire Ceiling Light
20th Century French Empire Floor Lamps
Vintage 1960s Unknown Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Bronze
20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Antique Mid-19th Century French Empire Candelabras
Crystal, Metal, Brass
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Bronze
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Belle Époque Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century French Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Antique Mid-19th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Antique 1870s French Aesthetic Movement Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Antique 19th Century Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Antique Early 19th Century Italian Empire Screens and Room Dividers
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Empire Revival Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Bronze, Wire, Gold Leaf, Brass
1870s French School Nude Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze, Ormolu
Vintage 1950s French Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Figurative Paintings
Ink, Paper
1980s Abstract Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Offset, Ink, Lithograph
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Antique 19th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Bronze
Antique 1810s French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Lanterns
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Early 20th Century French Empire Lanterns
Brass
Vintage 1920s French Georgian Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Antique 1810s French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Antique Late 19th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Empire Lanterns
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century Empire Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Bronze, Copper, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Tôle
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
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French Empire Ceiling Light For Sale on 1stDibs
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Finding the Right chandeliers-pendant-lights for You
Chandeliers — simple in form, inspired by candelabras and originally made of wood or iron — first made an appearance in early churches. For those wealthy enough to afford them for their homes in the medieval period, a chandelier's suspended lights likely exuded imminent danger, as lit candles served as the light source for fixtures of the era. Things have thankfully changed since then, and antique chandeliers and pendant lights are popular in many interiors today.
While gas lighting during the late 18th century represented an upgrade for chandeliers — and gas lamps would long inspire Danish architect and pioneering modernist lighting designer Poul Henningsen — it would eventually be replaced with the familiar electric lighting of today.
The key difference between a pendant light and a chandelier is that a pendant incorporates only a single bulb into its design. Don’t mistake this for simplicity, however. An Art Deco–styled homage to Sputnik from Murano glass artisans Giovanni Dalla Fina, with handcrafted decorative elements supported by a chrome frame, is just one stunning example of the elaborate engineering that can be incorporated into every component of a chandelier. (Note: there is more than one lighting fixture that shares its name with the iconic mid-century-era satellite — see Gino Sarfatti’s design too.)
Chandeliers have evolved over time, but their classic elegance has remained unchanged.
Not only will the right chandelier prove impressive in a given room, but it can also offer a certain sense of practicality. These fixtures can easily illuminate an entire space, while their elevated position prevents them from creating glare or straining one’s eyes.
Certain materials, like glass, can complement naturally lit settings without stealing the show. Brass, on the other hand, can introduce an alluring, warm glow. While LEDs have earned a bad reputation for their perceived harsh bluish lights and a loss of brightness over their life span, the right design choices can help harness their lighting potential and create the perfect mood. A careful approach to lighting can transform your room into a peaceful and cozy nook, ideal for napping, reading or working.
For midsize spaces, a wall light or sconce can pull the room together and get the lighting job done. Perforated steel rings underneath five bands of handspun aluminum support a rich diffusion of light within Alvar Aalto's Beehive pendant light, but if you’re looking to brighten a more modest room, perhaps a minimalist solution is what you’re after. The mid-century modern furniture designer Charlotte Perriand devised her CP-1 wall lamps in the 1960s, in which a repositioning of sheet-metal plates can redirect light as needed.
The versatility and variability of these lighting staples mean that, when it comes to finding something like the perfect chandelier, you’ll never be left hanging. From the natural world-inspired designs of the Art Nouveau era to the classic beauty of Paul Ferrante's fixtures, there is a style for every room.
With designs for pendant lights and chandeliers across eras, colors and materials, you’ll never run out of options to explore on 1stDibs — shop a collection today that includes antique Art Deco chandeliers, Stilnovo chandeliers, Baccarat chandeliers and more.
Read More
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
With a High-Tech Flagship and Cool Collabs, Lladró Is Breaking the Mold for Porcelain Production
Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.
Christopher Tennant’s Lamps and Dioramas Evoke Sunny Days and Seaside Locales
The former magazine editor blends elements of the Far East and America’s eastern shores, bringing wit and delight to his handmade, upcycled designs.
Paavo Tynell’s Snowflake Chandelier Warms Up Any Room
This circa 1950 piece by the legendary Finnish lighting designer spent the past several decades in a family's home in Michigan.
NASA Parachutes Inspired Lighting Designer Bec Brittain’s New Collection
In "Paraciphers," now on view at Emma Scully Gallery in New York, Brittain introduces works that were more than a decade in the making.
This Handsome Leather Pendant Light Is Crafted Using Saddle-Making Techniques
The Doma by L’Aviva Home nods to Colombia’s equestrian heritage.
Celebrate Spring Year-Round with This Lush Murano-Glass Chandelier
Hand-blown glass makes the Italian fixture glow like dew-covered leaves in the sun.