Louis XVI Animal Skin Armchairs
Antique 19th Century Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
Vintage 1940s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Cowhide, Cane, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1920s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Louis XVI Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1920s American Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Fabric, Leather, Wood
Antique 1780s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1980s Italian Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1950s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Side Chairs
Suede, Wood
2010s French Louis XVI Dining Room Chairs
Beech, Leather, Upholstery
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Giltwood
Antique 19th Century Unknown Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
20th Century Spanish Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
2010s French Louis XVI Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Upholstery, Beech
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather
Antique 1770s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
Antique 1880s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Upholstery, Walnut
People Also Browsed
Antique Early 1900s American Neoclassical Revival Fireplaces and Mantels
Bronze, Iron
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Night Stands
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
Naugahyde
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Walnut
Vintage 1980s Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany, Velvet, Cane
Late 20th Century American Chippendale Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
Vintage 1980s Chairs
Brass
Antique 18th Century and Earlier American American Classical Sofas
Late 20th Century American Modern Club Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Paint, Feathers
20th Century American Louis XVI Bergere Chairs
Textile, Cane, Wood
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Beds and Bed Frames
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Walnut
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Armchairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
Vintage 1920s French Louis XVI Sofas
Alpaca, Wood
Early 20th Century American American Classical Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Wood, Oak, Rosewood
Recent Sales
Antique 18th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Paint, Giltwood, Leather, Fabric
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Hardwood, Patent Leather, Wool
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Beech
Vintage 1940s French Louis XVI Bergere Chairs
Leather, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Cane, Oak
Vintage 1930s Italian Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
Antique Early 1900s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Louis XVI Club Chairs
Leather, Walnut
Early 2000s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Beech
20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Upholstery, Wood
Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Chairs
Leather, Wood
Antique 1890s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Beech
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Beech, Paint
Early 20th Century European Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Burlap, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XVI Bergere Chairs
Brass
20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
20th Century Louis XVI Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood
20th Century Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
20th Century Louis XVI Armchairs
Zebra Hide
20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Tapestry, Giltwood, Mahogany
20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Beech
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
2010s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1960s American Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
Early 2000s American Louis XVI Armchairs
Cowhide, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
Vintage 1930s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather
Vintage 1960s French Louis XVI Dining Room Chairs
Leather
Antique 18th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Giltwood, Leather, Fabric
Vintage 1910s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century Spanish Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Fruitwood
20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1920s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Fruitwood
Vintage 1960s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Beech
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Cane, Mahogany
Vintage 1930s French Louis XVI Swivel Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Great Britain (UK) Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Upholstery, Beech
Vintage 1940s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Beech, Paint
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Cane, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass, Gold Leaf
Vintage 1950s Italian Louis XVI Armchairs
Walnut, Leather
Antique Early 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood, Lambskin, Leather
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Bergere Chairs
Leather, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Suede, Wood, Down, Paint
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood, Lambskin, Leather
Antique 1890s French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Giltwood, Leather
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Giltwood, Leather, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Mahogany, Leather
Louis XVI Animal Skin Armchairs For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Louis XVI Animal Skin Armchairs?
A Close Look at Louis XVI Furniture
Reflecting the final era of royal opulence before the upheaval of the French Revolution, antique Louis XVI furniture features more angular shapes than the Rococo curves of the Louis XV style, harkening back to the imposing grandeur of Louis XIV.
Dating between 1750 and 1800, an era that overlapped with the last king of France whose reign was cut short by the guillotine, Louis XVI furniture, known as the goût grec, is emblematic of the neoclassical revision that French furniture underwent during the second half of the 18th century.
Authentic Louis XVI furniture characteristics include clean lines and carved details such as scrolls and acanthus flourishes that were inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. This was informed by a burgeoning interest in antiquity in the 18th century, owing to new archaeological excavations at sites including Pompeii and Herculaneum. It largely eclipsed the more East Asian–influenced ornamentation of Louis XV for something more geometric and symmetrical.
The Louis XVI style was defined by what was being created for the palatial rooms at Versailles and Fontainebleau, particularly for the queen, with cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener being a favorite of Marie-Antoinette’s for his luxurious pieces accented with gilded bronze and marquetry. Furniture maker Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené was also a major designer of the period, with his pieces for the royal residences adorned with giltwood and neoclassical touches like tapered columns for chair legs and laurel leaf carvings. Cabinetmaker Adam Weisweiler occasionally incorporated into his furniture porcelain panels produced by Sèvres, a popular manufacturer of European ceramics that served the crown with serveware, vases and other decorative objects.
Find a collection of antique Louis XVI seating, tables, cabinets and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Armchairs for You
Armchairs have run the gamut from prestige to ease and everything in between, and everyone has an antique or vintage armchair that they love.
Long before industrial mass production democratized seating, armchairs conveyed status and power.
In ancient Egypt, the commoners took stools, while in early Greece, ceremonial chairs of carved marble were designated for nobility. But the high-backed early thrones of yore, elevated and ornate, were merely grandiose iterations of today’s armchairs.
Modern-day armchairs, built with functionality and comfort in mind, are now central to tasks throughout your home. Formal dining armchairs support your guests at a table for a cheery feast, a good drafting chair with a deep seat is parked in front of an easel where you create art and, elsewhere, an ergonomic wonder of sorts positions you at the desk for your 9 to 5.
When placed under just the right lamp where you can lounge comfortably, both elbows resting on the padded supports on each side of you, an upholstered armchair — or a rattan armchair for your light-suffused sunroom — can be the sanctuary where you’ll read for hours.
If you’re in the mood for company, your velvet chesterfield armchair is a place to relax and be part of the conversation that swirls around you. Maybe the dialogue is about the beloved Papa Bear chair, a mid-century modern masterpiece from Danish carpenter and furniture maker Hans Wegner, and the wingback’s strong association with the concept of cozying up by the fireplace, which we can trace back to its origins in 1600s-era England, when the seat’s distinctive arm protrusions protected the sitter from the heat of the period’s large fireplaces.
If the fireside armchair chat involves spirited comparisons, your companions will likely probe the merits of antique and vintage armchairs such as Queen Anne armchairs, Victorian armchairs or even Louis XVI armchairs, as well as the pros and cons of restoration versus conservation.
Everyone seems to have a favorite armchair and most people will be all too willing to talk about their beloved design. Whether that’s the unique Favela chair by Brazilian sibling furniture designers Fernando and Humberto Campana, who repurposed everyday objects to provocative effect; or Marcel Breuer’s futuristic tubular metal Wassily lounge chair; the functionality-first LC series from Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret; or the Eames lounge chair of the mid-1950s created by Charles and Ray Eames, there is an iconic armchair for everyone and every purpose. Find yours on 1stDibs right now.