Louis Xv Appliques Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Console Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Console Tables
Giltwood
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Louis XV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood, Mirror
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Wall Lights and Sconces
Wood
1990s European Louis XV Wall Lights and Sconces
Giltwood
Antique Early 18th Century Italian Louis XV Wall Lights and Sconces
Wrought Iron
Antique 1890s French Louis XVI Stools
Tapestry, Wood, Giltwood
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20th Century English Chinoiserie Cabinets
Glass, Giltwood, Lacquer
Antique 1890s German Dinner Plates
Porcelain
20th Century Russian Neoclassical Vases
Malachite, Ormolu
Antique Early 18th Century French Baroque Western European Rugs
Silk, Wool
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Wall Lights and Sconces
Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century French Floor Lamps
Crystal
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Pedestals and Columns
Marble, Carrara Marble
18th Century Portrait Paintings
Oil
20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Antique Early 1900s Chinese Chinese Export Vases
Ormolu
Antique 17th Century Italian Baroque Bookcases
Spruce
Antique 1890s French Louis XVI Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Rococo Dinner Plates
Porcelain
Vintage 1950s English Renaissance Beds and Bed Frames
Oak
20th Century American Art Nouveau Glass
Glass
1890s Prints and Multiples
Etching
Recent Sales
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Wall Lights and Sconces
Giltwood
Antique Mid-18th Century French Louis XV More Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique 1870s French Louis XV Benches
Damask, Giltwood
Antique Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Console Tables
Marble
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Louis XV Wall Mirrors
Silver Leaf
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Wall Brackets
Giltwood
Antique Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Sculptures
Giltwood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Trumeau Mirrors
Giltwood, Mirror
Antique 19th Century Italian Louis XV Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
A Close Look at louis-xv Furniture
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.
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