Baroque Wood Lounge Chairs

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.

While this specific seating is known to all for its comfort and familiar form, the history of how your favorite antique or vintage lounge chair came to be is slightly more ambiguous.

Although there are rare armchairs dating back as far as the 17th century, some believe that the origins of the first official “lounge chair” are tied to Hungarian modernist designer-architect Marcel Breuer. Sure, Breuer wasn’t exactly reinventing the wheel when he introduced the Wassily lounge chair in 1925, but his seat was indeed revolutionary for its integration of bent tubular steel.

Officially, a lounge chair is simply defined as a “comfortable armchair,” which allows for the shape and material of the furnishings to be extremely diverse. Whether or not chaise longues make the cut for this category is a matter of frequent debate.

The Eames lounge chair, on the other hand, has come to define somewhat of a universal perception of what a lounge chair can be. Introduced in 1956, the Eames lounger (and its partner in cozy, the ottoman) quickly became staples in television shows, prestigious office buildings and sumptuous living rooms. Venerable American mid-century modern designers Charles and Ray Eames intended for it to be the peak of luxury, which they knew meant taking furniture to the next level of style and comfort. Their chair inspired many modern interpretations of the lounge — as well as numerous copies.

On 1stDibs, find a broad range of unique lounge chairs that includes everything from antique Victorian-era seating to vintage mid-century modern lounge chairs by craftspersons such as Hans Wegner to contemporary choices from today’s innovative designers.