Austrian ~ German Beidermeier 1815 - 1948

Beidermeier furniture became thinned down from the pomp of the empire style - the straight lines remained but the ornament all but disappeared.

The beauty was in the grain of the wood - which was highly polished. Light woods were preferred - cherry, birch, pear, poplar and yew although in the north mahogany and walnut were still popular. Marquetry was not often used, but you do find it in the back of antique biedermeier chairs.

Comfortable sofas, settees and armchairs set before a round table became the centre point of a room. Other furniture set along the walls. The fall front secretaire (Schreibschrank) was still an expensive and very popular piece of furniture.

Small work tables, display cabinets and commodes were also important accompaniments to the drawing room.
Of Austrian/German antique furniture - the Biedermeier pieces are still much sort after - I think this is because they match in with modern design so well.

Many good pieces of antique Austrian/German furniture have been stripped and repolished to bring back the original light colouring.

Original untouched antique biedermeier furniture is almost impossible to find and reproductions are not unusual.

Here are two sample picture. This is my most favorite style of European antique furniture.

 

Oh wow CTEC, that it absolutely beautiful! It is in mint condition. This piece is actually timeless. It looks like something that you would see in the movies. Thank you so much for sharing it. I would love to get my hands on a set like this. Although it really belongs in a museum, it is that gorgeous.

 

They are Pam! These are not items that I own. Sorry for the confusion! I was just using them to show the style I like. I do own a round center table, but it's back in Austria at my parents house. I should ask them to send me a picture of it.

The price tag on a chair like the one in the lower picture starts at around $3,000.00. Frankly not sure if I would want one in my house here, as we have two young children and five dogs. I would either have to lock them all out of the house or have a special room for those furniture pieces. lol

 

So beautiful!! I agree with Pambeacher, those are in great condition. Very expensive as well. I have little ones myself so I can't imagine having anything like that in my house right now. I would be too afraid.

 

Yes I have always loved Beidermeier, it was huge in the 1980s, when I was collecting American country Empire, which sometimes has similar lines.

My understanding of the 'arrangement' shown above is that it was created during the Beidermeier period. I am talking about the sofa, with a high round table, and chairs at the sides. This arrangement developed into what we have today: couch, two side tables, a low table (coffee table) and two chairs.

However, the way the photo above shows it, it looks like the table my grandma pulled out to play pinochle. I don't think that is representive of the Beidermeier Arrangement and may have been placed that way to show off the matching set of chairs and sofa.

 

JMHO.
the term Biedermeier in furniture should not be restricted to 1815 - 1848, this was a political statement after the restoration. Biedermeier is an artificial term built of "respectable/honest/ humble" and the family name Meier (so perhaps something like Boringsmith in English). it was widely made up till the 1890s because 1848 didn't see a revolution like the French one but many smaller revolutions that led to a bourgeoisie comparable to today's middle classes that were housed in flats with lower ceilings than the really well-to-do; reason why these pieces can easily be used till today.
on the continent the market is low at the moment and I frankly don't see 3000 $ for one chair.

 

I thought that the word Beidermeier came from a cartoon strip? And it was closer to the word bougeoisie in meaning, if a bit more humorous or campy in connotation than serious or political?

It has also been stated often that the style of furniture from that period (post Nepolionic Wars) was a result of the weak German (east European) economy, necessitating cheaper veneered work, rather than intricate marquetry and carving.

 

it wasn't a cartoon strip, but invented by writers . in use since 1847 to describe the attitude of the then marginal middle classes to retreat into private life under the pressure of the new-old régimes. very typical German made-up name.
bourgeoisie was rather used to distiguish people from working-class and peasants and may also express that they already had an income by interests of shares.
I must say, I hear that about the veneered stuff for the first time. and frankly I can't imagine it being much cheaper to get a good veneer in mahogani and then it being applied to a good oak item.

 

I agree, but I think this comes from comparing it to French Empire, and the Imperial stuff, that still had lots of carving, marquetry and ormalu, like the Louis XVI. I was under the impression that the German royals were using this same type of furniture design, similar to the middle class in detail if not construction and that may be where the idea came from.

 

problem: everything that was classy (and posh) in Germany was under French influence at the time. the gentry spoke French, German was still looked upon as "yokel-speak" and English as barbarian and only learnt by few - mostly merchants - to understand those funny islanders and their offspring in those far-away colonies.
second problem: Biedermeier was not a uniform style and took influences from everything around. is an item plain Bidermeier or Vormärz or Historismus or are certain details already Jugendstil ? very hard to find out on individual pieces, and heated discussions between experts guaranteed.