Louis XIII Architectural Elements

Antique Louis XIII furniture is not as lavish as that of his son Louis XIV, who transformed his father’s modest Versailles hunting lodge into a sumptuous palace. Yet the imposing forms of its chairs, dressers, tables and other pieces express grandeur and luxury.

When Henry IV was assassinated in the streets of Paris in 1610, his young son became the king of France. With Louis XIII too young to rule, the widowed Marie de' Medici — a native of Italy and member of the prominent House of Medici — became regent, instilling an Italian influence in the decorative arts. Even after Louis XIII exiled his mother and took power in 1617, this aesthetic informed his court style. As did the consolidation of power, established with his chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, through his death in 1643.

From sturdy chests and tall cupboards to colossal four-poster beds, almost every piece of Louis XIII furniture was heavily carved or turned from dark-toned wood. Motifs of the period included scrollwork, foliage, fruits, grotesque masks and other images of abundance, often inlaid in marquetry of wood or tortoiseshell. Ornamental scenes, sometimes carved on cabinet panels and other pieces from rare ebony, oak or walnut, were borrowed from engravings by northern European masters like Peter Paul Rubens. Engravings also spread the Louis XIII style during the 17th century, particularly by printmaker Abraham Bosse, who depicted the popular Louis XIII chairs designed with upholstered seats and low, wide backs.

The lofty profiles of the French furniture complemented the architecture under the reign of Louis XIII, such as the Palais du Luxembourg by chief architect Salomon de Brosse and architect Jacques Lemercier’s chapel at the Sorbonne, which showcased the influence of Italian Baroque.

Find a collection of antique Louis XIII armchairs, storage cabinets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.