Louis XV Vitrines
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze
1910s French Vintage Louis XV Vitrines
Glass, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Brass
19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Paint
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze
1880s European Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Oak
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Satinwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Marble, Ormolu
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Walnut
Early 20th Century European Louis XV Vitrines
Glass, Oak
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Glass, Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vitrines
Carrara Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Wood, Paint, Upholstery, Glass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vitrines
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vitrines
Glass, Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Vitrines
Oak
1890s French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Ormolu, Bronze
1980s American Vintage Louis XV Vitrines
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vitrines
Glass, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Vitrines
Tulipwood, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Glass, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Oak
Early 20th Century Louis XV Vitrines
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Ormolu
1910s French Vintage Louis XV Vitrines
Glass, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Kingwood
1880s French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Ormolu
19th Century Dutch Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Mahogany
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze
20th Century Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Glass, Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Vitrines
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Ormolu
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Iron
1870s Italian Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Gesso, Walnut
Mid-19th Century European Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Oak
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Breccia Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vitrines
Ormolu
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Vitrines
Bronze