British Colonial Paintings
Typically made of mahogany, teak or bamboo and featuring a range of fabrics and prints with botanical patterns, antique British Colonial furniture and decor varies as it involved local materials and techniques and spanned centuries of design styles.
As the British Empire expanded from the 16th to the 20th century, its conquest and control of colonies around the world bolstered its wealth through the extraction of resources. Including colonies in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia, this spread of often violent subjugation imposed British culture, language and faith on Indigenous peoples. The design of homes was included in this expression of imperial power, with government officials, merchants and military officers creating homes mimicking the luxuries they were used to in England.
Local artisans were commissioned to replicate British designs, resulting in versions of Regency, Chippendale, Sheraton and other styles of furniture being crafted from mahogany, rosewood, ebony and teakwood as opposed to beech and oak, which were more common in Europe. Whereas the colonial furniture for the Portuguese and Dutch regularly had motifs of indigenous flora and fauna, the British tended to want more exact reproductions of their home country’s designs.
To escape the summer heat in places such as India and the Caribbean, British colonizers relocated to airy houses in the hills or plantations, leading to foldable chairs and collapsible desks in the style of military campaign furniture. Rather than upholstery as they might have in Europe, chairs and sofas in the British Colonial style had rattan and cane seating for these higher temperature climates. The contrast between the light textiles and the dark colors of the sturdy furniture became a defining aesthetic of British Colonial interiors.
Find a collection of antique British Colonial outdoor furniture, seating, bedroom furniture, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Paintings
Wood, Paper, Paint
Early 20th Century American British Colonial Paintings
Faux Bamboo, Glass, Paint, Paper
Mid-20th Century Haitian British Colonial Paintings
Paint
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Paintings
Paint
20th Century American British Colonial Paintings
Acrylic
Mid-19th Century Caribbean Antique British Colonial Paintings
Paint
Mid-20th Century Jamaican British Colonial Paintings
Paper
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Paintings
Paint
19th Century American Antique British Colonial Paintings
Paint
20th Century Caribbean British Colonial Paintings
Paint
20th Century North American British Colonial Paintings
Paint, Paper
Late 20th Century Haitian British Colonial Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
Late 20th Century Peruvian British Colonial Paintings
Paper
1950s American Vintage British Colonial Paintings
Wood, Paper
1860s English Antique British Colonial Paintings
Feathers
Early 20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Paintings
Paper
1960s Vintage British Colonial Paintings
Paper
1970s Haitian Vintage British Colonial Paintings
Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Paintings
Cotton, Paper, Acrylic
Early 20th Century Brazilian British Colonial Paintings
Paper
19th Century Japanese Antique British Colonial Paintings
Paint, Paper
Mid-20th Century German British Colonial Paintings
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique British Colonial Paintings
Mother-of-Pearl
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Paintings
Mahogany, Paint
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Paintings
Giltwood, Paint
Late 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Late 20th Century British Colonial Paintings
Canvas, Paint
19th Century Antique British Colonial Paintings
Canvas, Giltwood
19th Century Antique British Colonial Paintings
Canvas
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Paintings
Paint
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Paintings
Bamboo, Paint
20th Century American British Colonial Paintings
Glass, Giltwood
Early 20th Century European British Colonial Paintings
Wood, Paint
20th Century English British Colonial Paintings
Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Paintings
Plywood