Louis Xiv Faux Bois
Vintage 1980s American Louis XIV Side Tables
Concrete
Antique 18th Century Italian Louis XIV Dressers
Paint
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Antique 18th Century German Baroque Cabinets
Walnut, Pine
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Silk
2010s Austrian Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
2010s Italian Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
Antique 1730s German George II Wardrobes and Armoires
Oak
Early 20th Century English Art Deco Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
Vintage 1920s English Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood, Oak
Antique Early 1900s American Art Nouveau Architectural Elements
Bronze
Early 20th Century English Jacobean Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany
2010s British Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany
Antique Early 19th Century Anglo Raj Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany
Vintage 1980s Hollywood Regency Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century French Renaissance Sideboards
Walnut
Antique Early 19th Century German Wardrobes and Armoires
Paint, Wood
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Antique 1730s French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Paint, Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century French Architectural Elements
A Close Look at louis-xiv Furniture
As opposed to the styles that would follow from the other 18th-century French kings, Louis XV and Louis XVI, antique Louis XIV furniture is rigid and imposing. It expresses opulence — even its armchairs, with their upright backs, straight legs and lavish ornamentation, look like thrones. Authentic Louis XIV sofas, a then newly emerging iteration of seating, are fully upholstered and often feature decoratively carved frames of walnut, chestnut or oak.
When French King Louis XIV established his royal court at Versailles in 1682, he transformed what was once a hunting lodge into a palace that declared his wealth and power through its design. Until his death in 1715, he reigned with a spirit of excess and absolute political dominance. The “Sun King,” as he called himself, believed that France revolved around him as planets do the sun. Louis XIV adopted the sun as his emblem, decorating the grounds with symbols of the sun and Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. As he stated, “There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture.” He was a child when he became king in 1643, only shaping his style after he became absolute monarch in 1661.
Reflecting trends in French Baroque art, Louis XIV furniture characteristics included exuberant decoration. There were gilded bronze details including shells, suns, grotesques, lions and classical references like acanthus leaves. The years of growth in the country’s manufacturing, such as the tapestries and cabinets made at Gobelins, led to design innovations. The commode replaced the chest as a storage device, with drawers and a surface that could double as a desk.
The materials were luxurious, such as the popular tortoiseshell veneer technique that leading cabinetmaker Pierre Golle used in his designs. André-Charles Boulle, who became royal cabinetmaker in 1672, was a masterful artist of marquetry, using inlays of ebony, exotic woods and mother-of-pearl.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIV bedroom furniture, chairs, tables and other pieces on 1stDibs.