Empire Seating
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.
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Wood
1940s French Vintage Empire Seating
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Seating
Linen, Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Velvet, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1810s European Antique Empire Seating
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Cherry, Walnut
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Empire Seating
Bentwood
19th Century Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Ormolu
Late 19th Century European Antique Empire Seating
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
1820s Italian Antique Empire Seating
Walnut
Early 1800s Austrian Antique Empire Seating
Wood, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Wool, Upholstery, Walnut
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Oak, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Seating
Straw, Walnut
1930s French Vintage Empire Seating
Fruitwood
1880s French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
1980s Italian Vintage Empire Seating
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Ormolu
1980s French Vintage Empire Seating
Leather, Birch
Early 20th Century American Empire Seating
Mahogany
1880s French Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1860s Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Empire Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
20th Century French Empire Seating
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Swedish Empire Seating
Fabric, Pine, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Silk, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Empire Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Seating
Wood, Burl
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-19th Century British Antique Empire Seating
Velvet, Ebony
19th Century Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Swedish Empire Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Swedish Empire Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
Early 1800s Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
1860s French Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
20th Century French Empire Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Mahogany, Satinwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Silk, Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Beech, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Fabric, Beech
1960s American Vintage Empire Seating
Leather, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Fruitwood
1890s Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
1890s Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Mahogany
1810s Austrian Antique Empire Seating
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Wood