Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
From 1804–15, Napoléon I reigned as the emperor of France, bringing the country into a new era of opulence after the fall of the monarchy and the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. He declared, “We must have very solid things, made to last 100 years.” Empire-style furniture followed suit, with imposing pieces constructed from mahogany and adorned with gilded ornaments. Expanding on the neoclassicism popularized in the previous century — such as in Louis XVI style — Empire style borrowed from the great civilizations of antiquity, from Egypt to Greece and Rome, to connect this nascent empire to the power of the past.
Napoléon I believed the production of fine furniture would reflect the stature of the republic, with his official architects Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine leading the way with their work on his residences.
Luxurious materials, symmetrical shapes and bold colors characterize antique Empire-style bedroom furniture, armchairs, cabinets and other structures, with frequent motifs including mythological creatures, geometric designs, acanthus leaves, eagles, bees (the imperial emblem) and swans, a favorite of Empress Joséphine.
Flat surfaces, like marble tabletops, were accented with decadent details, such as the bronze furniture mounts made by sculptor Pierre-Philippe Thomire for the French palaces. Martin-Guillaume Biennais, who worked as the imperial goldsmith, crafted intricate luxury objects that mixed wood, fine metal, mother-of-pearl and ivory. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
The style became popular abroad, influencing the American Empire style. Stately pieces carved with sprigs of olives by cabinetmaker Pierre-Antoine Bellange were acquired by American President James Monroe for the White House in 1817.
Find a collection of antique Empire tables, lighting, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century Swedish Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
1950s European Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Wire
Early 20th Century Czech Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Wire
1880s Italian Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Iron, Wire
1940s European Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Wire
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster
1920s European Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1930s Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Bronze
1930s Italian Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Milk Glass
1810s French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 1900s Czech Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze, Iron
Early 20th Century European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Gold Plate, Brass, Bronze
1910s French Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century American Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel
Early 2000s Austrian Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Metal
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century American Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Late 20th Century Unknown Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel, Bronze
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1920s French Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
1890s English Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1950s French Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
1930s French Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
1930s Italian Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Late 20th Century Czech Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Wire
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Iron