Antique Hand Painted Furniture

Much to the chagrin of high-end painted furniture connoisseurs, it is very difficult to buy hand painted 18th Century Venetian furniture (or hand painted baroque furniture). This furniture is generally carefully guarded in museums, separated from the public by silk ropes. And those pieces that do exist in public hands are often too fragile for everyday use and carry an excessively high price tag.

It is to these lovers of the hand painted furniture of 18th Century Venice that Patina is dedicated. We offer true recreations, not just reproductions, because we have assembled artists in Italy who carry on the traditions of the hand painted furniture masters. Plus, our pieces are adjusted to accommodate contemporary lifestyles.

History

Hand painted furniture has a long history, reaching back to the use of resin lacquer in ancient China, some 3500 years ago. Marco Polo is thought to have brought news of the highly developed state of Chinese lacquer to Italy as early as 1283 A.D. The Venetian school of artists was in full sway by the early 1500s.

The discovery of Herculaneum and Pompeii in 1738 and 1748 ushered in a period of neoclassicism that quickly found its way into hand painted furniture design and decoration. This is the period that Patina's furniture emulates. The period's striking designs and elegant hand painted decorations make pieces from this period true classics.

Patina's furniture, though certainly not antique, is as close as one can get to buying antique hand painted furniture from this period. Once the furniture frame is produced, Patina's artists distress and age the furniture so that it truly gives the impression of an antique from the baroque period.

The distressing process includes the partial obliteration and removal of paint and decoration in strategic areas, and to different degrees. Depending on the amount of base paint and decoration removed, the primer, or gesso, shows through, giving the effect of more or less wear and use.

The aging process consists mainly of the application of a variety of darkening solutions and varnishes. These varnishes not only tone down the exposed gesso, reducing the contrast between the white of the gesso and the base color, but they also give the piece an overall patina as though it had been in existence for centuries.

If you're looking for a true antique from the baroque period, we wish you good luck (and hope you have deep pockets). But Patina's recreations are truly beautiful and evoke the flavor of an antique. This is hand painted, "antique" furniture at its best.

The armoire show here is our Vicenze Armoire, model number C22 / ST / DW / AQ / LT / 28R. See our online gallery of furniture, starting with our Introduction to Patina furniture.