What is it and what is it worth? Biedermeier Furniture
Posted by WORTHPOINT USA on 09/07/2021
When prompted to imagine 19th-century furnishings, many folks likely picture the highly carved, ornate, and massive items of the Victorian era. Few would likely imagine Biedermeier, the German and Austrian style known for simplicity, symmetry, and affordability. And yet, it is arguably one of the most innovative design styles of its time.
The Biedermeier style was developed in Germany and Austria in the 1820s to the 1840s, a time marked by slow European recovery after the Napoleonic wars. While aristocrats and royals suffered economically, the boom in industrialization created a more prosperous middle class. With more buying power, the middle class was making a larger impact on European art, furnishings, and society.
The enfranchisement of the middle class brought little pleasure to the elites. Inevitably, they criticized the style which emerged from this socioeconomic and cultural shift. Writers Adolf Kussmaul and Ludwig Eichrodt created a fictional character, “Gottlieb Biedermeier” representing the “respectable yet unsophisticated” middle class, “born and defined in the spirit of parody as an idyll of naive simplicity and moralistic credulity.” Thereafter, the term Biedermeier referred not just to this character but to the middle class and their aesthetic as well.
The middle-class Biedermeier style was simple, functional, comfortable, and beautiful. It was less ornate than the prevailing French and Neoclassical styles, which often involved gilding, metal decoration, and exotic woods. Many Biedermeier pieces have clean lines and limited decoration, but decoration can include Napoleonic references such as eagles, sphinxes, swans, dolphins, acanthus, lion paws, lyres, and garlands. These touches are ultimately quite restrained and proportional, though.
Local German fruitwoods were the preferred materials for Biedermeier furniture. Veneers, often book-matched to emphasize the natural grain or inlays, were fairly common forms of decoration. Stains, which were used to imitate more costly woods, were also popular. The scale of Biedermeier furniture was also noticeably smaller than the palatial furnishings of previous design movements inspired by the ruling classes.
The most impactful designer and furniture maker during the Biedermeier era was Josef Dannhauser. His factory in Vienna employed hundreds of craftsmen who created works for everyone, from the Austrian royal family to the average middle-class family. Though few of his pieces still exist today, roughly 2,5000 of his drawings and printed catalogs are a tremendous resource for collectors, designers, and historians.
This Biedermeier sofa sold for $1,250USD at Hindman in 2020.
Of course, the elites initially derided this style as much as the common people who inspired it. In the 1880s, tastemakers and commentators continued “to disparage ‘old-fashioned’ furniture that seemed styleless, in contrast to more fashionable furniture designed in a variety of historical styles.” Indeed the preferred styles of the 19th century were consistently revival styles – be they inspired by the Gothic, Renaissance, or Rococo varieties. The Biedermeier style, which was, for the most part, free of references to earlier aesthetics, was considered less than the others.
Just a decade later, the pendulum swung from criticism to favor: “Only after an exhibition of so-called Biedermeier furniture in Vienna in 1896 did the term begin to acquire a positive meaning.” Decorative art historians thereafter recognized Biedermeier as a uniquely German style and the first to cater especially to the middle class. Indeed it is considered to be the forerunner of modern furniture, and one can certainly see the Biedermeier influence on later style periods such as the Art Deco of the 1920s through the 1940s.
This Biedermeier chest of drawers sold for $3,125USD on eBay in 2021.
Biedermeier furniture is an excellent investment in antique furnishings. It is uniquely suited to the modern home in its simplicity, quality of craftsmanship, and appropriate size and scale. As with any antique furniture item, there are some considerations to keep in mind.
The first is age. An early 19th-century Biedermeier piece is, of course, the most desirable. However, Biedermeier style did experience a revival in the mid-20th century, and many high-end reproductions are crafted today. Maker’s marks are surely the simplest indicator of age. Usually, a piece will bear the markings by the master craftsman, be they stamped or presented on a paper label. Otherwise, historical documentation and provenance can be of assistance.
The second is materials (which can also inform you regarding age). Handcrafted German or Austrian pieces will be the most desirable, and solid woods are preferred. Highly figured veneers and hand-laid marquetry or stringing can certainly impact value as well. Be sure to inspect not just the primary wood, visible from the outside, but the quality and craftsmanship of any secondary woods, visible from the inside.
The third is, of course, condition. Antique furniture is likely to endure some damage and restoration, which is worth knowing. Scratches, chips, gouges, cracks, sun fading, wobbly legs, stuck drawers… the list goes on. Buyers are absolutely encouraged to request condition reports and additional photographs as necessary to account for the myriad of possible imperfections.
Ultimately, Biedermeier furniture is a handsome style worthy of investment. As a profoundly influential design movement and collectible, Beidermeier is both aesthetically and historically significant. Grouped with more contemporary or more traditional furnishings, it can compliment any interior design.
Lauren Casolo is a fine art and antiques appraiser based in Atlanta, Georgia, with several years of experience in the art advisory, insurance, and auction industries.