Baroque Lighting
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.
Early 20th Century Italian Baroque Lighting
Wood, Silk, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Baroque Lighting
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Wood, Parchment Paper, Paint
Late 20th Century Italian Baroque Lighting
Copper
1930s Spanish Vintage Baroque Lighting
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Baroque Lighting
Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Mirror, Giltwood
17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Marble, Metal
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Lucite, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Softwood
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Giltwood, Wood
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Baroque Lighting
Ormolu
Early 18th Century Baltic Antique Baroque Lighting
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Baroque Lighting
Plaster
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Iron
1910s Vintage Baroque Lighting
Hardwood, Paint
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Lighting
Oak
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Baroque Lighting
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Baroque Lighting
Sheet Metal
Early 20th Century French Baroque Lighting
Bronze, Brass
19th Century Swedish Antique Baroque Lighting
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Baroque Lighting
Porcelain, Fabric
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Wood, Giltwood
1930s Spanish Vintage Baroque Lighting
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Tin
1680s Dutch Antique Baroque Lighting
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Baroque Lighting
Iron
Early 20th Century Czech Baroque Lighting
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Baroque Lighting
Wood, Parchment Paper
1950s Vintage Baroque Lighting
Crystal
19th Century French Antique Baroque Lighting
Wood
1930s Dutch Vintage Baroque Lighting
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Giltwood
19th Century European Antique Baroque Lighting
Iron
Early 20th Century Baroque Lighting
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Baroque Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1950s Austrian Vintage Baroque Lighting
Crystal, Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century American Baroque Lighting
Metal
1930s European Vintage Baroque Lighting
Crystal, Brass
Mid-20th Century North American Baroque Lighting
Brass, Bronze
2010s Italian Baroque Lighting
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Baroque Lighting
Brass
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Baroque Lighting
Bronze
1880s Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Giltwood
2010s Italian Baroque Lighting
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Baroque Lighting
Crystal, Nickel, Metal
Early 20th Century French Baroque Lighting
Crystal, Metal
Early 20th Century French Baroque Lighting
Marble, Metal
Mid-20th Century Baroque Lighting
Iron, Brass
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Baroque Lighting
Brass
1920s Vintage Baroque Lighting
Brass
Early 17th Century Italian Antique Baroque Lighting
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Baroque Lighting
Brass
19th Century French Antique Baroque Lighting
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Baroque Lighting
Porcelain, Meissen
19th Century French Antique Baroque Lighting
Porphyry, Bronze, Ormolu