French Provincial Sculptures
Removed from the fashions of the court, French Provincial style developed in the provinces of the country, such as Provence, Normandy, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. Dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, French Provincial furniture was not as ostentatious as the designs being produced for the royal palaces, but elegant S-shape cabriole legs and ornate carvings elevated the sturdy chairs, sofas, tables and bedroom furniture intended for everyday use.
Although it varies by region, antique French Provincial furniture is unified by solid construction and an artisanal attention to design. While this furniture often followed the metropolitan trends — including the Rococo or neoclassical aesthetics of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI — since it was produced in the French countryside it was more subdued with nods to its rustic settings.
Local materials like fruitwoods, oak, beech and walnut were used to construct large French Provincial armoires for storage and comfortable armchairs with rush-woven seats. Wrought-iron elements and carvings like floral details and scallop patterns were common as ornamentation. Furniture was frequently painted white or other muted colors that coordinated with gilt and would acquire a patina of age over time. Other wood was just stained with vibrant fabric such as toile de Jouy, which sometimes depicted pastoral scenes, adding color as upholstery.
The style arrived in the United States after World War I, with soldiers returning home wanting furniture like what they had seen in the rural homes and castles of France. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, designer John Widdicomb split from his family business, the Widdicomb Furniture Company, and had been focusing on Louis XV– and French Provincial–style furnishings since the early 1900s. Other American manufacturers such as Baker, Drexel, Henredon and Thomasville also responded to demand. Today antique French Provincial pieces and reproductions continue to be popular.
Find a collection of antique French Provincial dining tables, seating, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Metal
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Concrete
Early 20th Century French Provincial Sculptures
Bronze
1980s Vintage French Provincial Sculptures
Bronze
1890s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Brass, Iron
Late 19th Century Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Bronze
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Iron
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Metal
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Brass
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Provincial Sculptures
Spelter
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Brass, Copper
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Wood
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Sculptures
Wood
1950s European Vintage French Provincial Sculptures
Porcelain
1890s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Ceramic, Faience
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Sculptures
Porcelain
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Earthenware
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Copper
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Sculptures
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Bronze
20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Gold
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Bronze
Early 2000s French French Provincial Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Provincial Sculptures
Composition
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Rope, Lucite, Wood
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Earthenware
Early 19th Century Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Earthenware
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Bronze
1950s European Vintage French Provincial Sculptures
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Provincial Sculptures
Stone
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Brass
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Sculptures
Ceramic
20th Century French French Provincial Sculptures
Copper
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Wood
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Sculptures
Stone
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Pine
1920s Vintage French Provincial Sculptures
Composition
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
1910s French Vintage French Provincial Sculptures
Ceramic, Faience
Early 20th Century Italian French Provincial Sculptures
Terracotta
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Sculptures
Metal
Early 2000s French French Provincial Sculptures
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Brass, Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Sculptures
Bronze