A 19th-century style originating in Germany, characterised by lack of ostentation. a term used to describe the central European decorative arts of the period 1820-1840, which put strong emphasis on unpretentious bourgeois comfort. The word derives from Gottleib Biedermeier, a fictional character invented by a German satirical journal to typify middle-class vulgarity. Biedermeier furniture is simple and well proportioned, and while influenced by the Directoire and Empire styles it avoided decorative exuberance. Its simplicity and clarity of line give Biedermeier furniture a distinctly modern appearance.