Baroque Painted Furniture
The decadence of the Baroque style, in which ornate furnishings were layered against paneled walls, painted ceilings, stately chandeliers and, above all, gilding, expressed the power of the church and monarchy through design that celebrated excess. And its influence was omnipresent — antique Baroque furniture was created in the first design style that truly had a global impact.
Theatrical and lavish, Baroque was prevalent across Europe from the 17th to mid-18th century and spread around the world through colonialism, including in Asia, Africa and the Americas. While Baroque originated in Italy and achieved some of its most fantastic forms in the late-period Roman Baroque, it was adapted to meet the tastes and materials in each region. French Baroque furniture informed Louis XIV style and added drama to Versailles. In Spain, the Baroque movement influenced the elaborate Churrigueresque style in which architecture was dripping with ornamental details. In South German Baroque, furniture was made with bold geometric patterns.
Compared to Renaissance furniture, which was more subdued in its proportions, Baroque furniture was extravagant in all aspects, from its shape to its materials.
Allegorical and mythical figures were often sculpted in the wood, along with motifs like scrolling floral forms and acanthus leaves that gave the impression of tangles of dense foliage. Novel techniques and materials such as marquetry, gesso and lacquer — which were used with exotic woods and were employed by cabinetmakers such as André-Charles Boulle, Gerrit Jensen and James Moore — reflected the growth of international trade. Baroque furniture characteristics include a range of decorative elements — a single furnishing could feature everything from carved gilded wood to gilt bronze, lending chairs, mirrors, console tables and other pieces a sense of motion.
Find a collection of authentic antique Baroque tables, lighting, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
1770s Austrian Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Fir
1750s Italian Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Fir
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Leather, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Oak
1830s Swiss Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Fir
18th Century Danish Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
1730s German Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Oak
Mid-19th Century North American Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century European Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Wood
1880s Hungarian Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
19th Century Danish Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Softwood
18th Century German Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Oak, Pine
1840s German Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
Mid-18th Century Danish Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Mahogany
1850s German Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine, Paint
19th Century French Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Wood
1830s Swiss Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Fir
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
Mid-19th Century German Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
Mid-19th Century Hungarian Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
Mid-18th Century Danish Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
1760s European Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Painted Furniture
Pine