Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
The authentic Biedermeier furniture on 1stDibs is representative of the first modern European decorative style not dictated by the tastes of the aristocracy. Following the Napoleonic wars, a growing, wealthy urban middle class in the German-speaking states of Central Europe began to demand rights and privileges once granted only to nobles. To avoid trouble, the upwardly striving confined their political discussions to one another’s homes. And so the salon was born.
Cabinetmakers in cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Mainz began to offer goods that reflected the tastes and needs of the new class. The makers of Biedermeier chairs, tables and other furniture used little or no gilding, silver hardware or other lavish ornament. Ebonized trims are common on Biedermeier cabinetry, and neoclassical elements — lyre-shaped chair splats, carved scrollwork, table supports shaped like Greek columns. But the strongest aesthetic statement came from the wood — richly-grained, honey-colored, often book-matched veneers of walnut and fruitwood.
There are two iconic Biedermeier furniture forms, both made to outfit rooms designed for conversation. One is the sofa, deeply upholstered with a strong, architectural wooden frame. The second is the circular pedestal table, which stood at the center of the room, offering a surface on which to place coffee and cake services; or to roll out a map, or sketch out ideas on paper.
“Biedermeier” was originally a derogatory term — it derives from the pen names of two German magazine writers who mocked bourgeois manners. Looking at the elegant and refined antique, new and vintage Biedermeier furniture offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
Early 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Yew
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Mahogany, Upholstery
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Central American Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Horn, Leather
1930s Finnish Vintage Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Sheepskin, Elm
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Natural Fiber, Cherry
1950s English Vintage Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Leather
Early 20th Century British Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1950s Czech Vintage Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Bouclé, Walnut
1950s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Metal
1980s Vintage Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Leather, Cotton
1980s Czech Vintage Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Steel
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Brass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Leather, Upholstery, Cherry
1850s German Antique Biedermeier Wingback Chairs
Iron