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.
Carved wooden bust of a woman, France, Louis XIV period, circa 1700
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Elegant carved wooden female bust dating from the Louis XIV period (late 17th – early 18th century). This decorative work depicts a young woman wearing a veil that falls gracefully o...
Wood
A 19th century marble bust of Corneille van Clève
Located in Wijnegem, BE
Marble bust of Corneille Van Cleve by Jean-Jacques Caffieri, France, 19th century.
Carrara Marble
Italian Grand Tour Carved Marble Bust Of Woman
Located in Bradenton, FL
Classical 19th century hand-carved Italian Neoclassic Grand Tour marble female bust. Bust features intricately carved young woman's head and neck, wearing delicate drapery across déc...
Marble
Pair of 19th Century Busts
Located in Madrid, ES
Pair of 19th century busts. These are 2 19th century Gesso painted busts of 2 archaeologists of the period. Measurements: 69 x 62 x 28 Y 65 x 60 x 30 Good condition.
Gesso
19th Century Italian Classical Marble Bust of Venus Chiurazzi
Located in New York, NY
Psyche of Capua. White marble bust of Venus, after antique. Italy, late 19th century. Inscribed, 'Chiurazzi.' Measures: 21 in. (53.3 cm) height.
Carrara Marble
19th Century Italian Marble Bust of Aphrodite
Located in Houston, TX
19th century Italian marble bust of Aphrodite. Our antique Italian Carrara marble bust of Aphrodite is expertly carved and rests on a...
Marble
$4,688Sale Price|41% Off
H 16.93 in W 13.39 in D 7.88 in
Carved Wooden Reliquary Bust of A Madonna, Italian, Circa 1650-1750
Located in Buisson, FR
Spectacular and very decorative piece. Large carved wooden reliquary bust of a Madonna. Beautiful traces of color. Small losses and without the relics. Silver/silvered central piece ...
Wood
19th Century Marble Bust of Antinous
Located in Dublin 8, IE
19th Century Marble Bust of Antinous after the original known as the 'Antinous Vaticano' discovered at Hadrian's Villa. Featuring realistic detail to hair and handsome facial features...
Marble
19th Century Hellenistic Marble Bust of Herakles, Antique Replica
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A monumental and masterfully sculpted 19th century copy of the famed Hellenistic "Herakles from Pergamon." This dramatic marble head, hewn from prized Greek Thassos marble, depicts...
Marble
$4,500
H 29.5 in W 15 in D 11 in
Bronze Bust of French Louis XV Period Beauty After Henri Alphonse Nelson
Located in New York, NY
Large (29 1/2 inch tall) bronze bust of a lovely French Louis XV (18th century) beauty after the original model by the French master, Henri Alphonse Nelson (1854-1919), cast in Paris...
Bronze
Late 19th Century marble bust of a young lady
Located in Dublin 8, IE
Late 19th C marble bust of a young lady wearing a hat.
Marble
Grand Tour Marble Bust of Diana of Versailles, 19th Century
Located in New York, NY
Large Grand Tour marble bust of the goddess Diana, after the ancient Roman original from the 1st/2nd century AD, today housed in the Louvre, Paris. Finely carved with classical elega...
Marble
$15,000
H 27 in W 24 in D 14 in
A French Antique Carved White Marble Bust of Louis XIV 'The Sun King' Circa 1890
Located in Tarzana, CA
A French Antique Carved Marble Bust of Louis XIV, a masterful embodiment of artistry and historical grandeur. Crafted with precision and reverence, this carved marble bust captures t...
Carrara Marble
$440Sale Price|20% Off
H 9.25 in W 3.5 in D 3.9 in
Fine Carved Wooden Woman Bust Sculpture, Jamaica 1960s
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage fine bust depicts a beautiful young woman, hand carved in solid fruitwood. The woman is depicted with her eyes slightly downcast, as if she's looking at something at her fee...
Wood, Fruitwood
19th Century Marble bust of Madame Récamier.
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A fine quality classical 19th Century French marble sculpture of Madame Récamier. Jeanne Françoise Julie Adélaïde Récamier, known ...
Marble
Sold
H 27.96 in W 17.72 in D 13.78 in
Large Bust Of Corneille Van Cleve In Terracotta After Caffieri Jean-jacques
By Jacques Caffieri
Located in BARSAC, FR
Magnificent terracotta bust representing the sculptor Corneille Van Cleve (1645-1732) after a work by Jean-Jacques Caffieri (Paris, 04/29/1725 - Paris, 06/21/1792). Old work from the 19th century. Ideal for an 18th century decor...
Terracotta
Large Plaster Bust Of Prince De Condé From The 19th Century
Located in BARSAC, FR
Impressive bust of Louis II de Bourbon-Condé, cousin of the king, great soldier and great strategist, known as the bust of the Grand Condé after Antoine Coisevox (1640, 1720) 19th c...
Plaster
Huge Antique Bust French Marie Antoinette Copy of Le Comte 1783
Located in Buxton, GB
This stunning huge sculpture is a life-size antique bust and is a copy of that by the French nobleman Le Comte 1783, crafted in 1900 using painted plaster and carved by hand. The pi...
Plaster, Paint
Louis XIV Style Terra Cotta Bust of Boy, Louis Joseph Xavier François
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique French Louis XIV style terra cotta bust sculpture of boy in peruke and lace collar, circa 1880. Possibly Louis Joseph Xavier François de France, incised "Made in France" on base, circa 1880. Louis Joseph de France (Louis Joseph Xavier François; 22 October 1781 – 4 June 1789) was the second child and elder son of King Louis XVI of France...
Terracotta