Louis XIII Furniture
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.
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Iron
18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Tapestry, Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XIII Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Brass
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Stone, Limestone
20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Crystal
1880s French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Oak
20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Crystal, Brass
18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
1980s French Vintage Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Linen, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Iron
1890s French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Mohair, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Stone
Early 1700s French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Metal, Brass
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Steel
1850s French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XIII Furniture
Velvet, Faux Leather, Hardwood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XIII Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century American Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Chestnut, Oak
1950s English Vintage Louis XIII Furniture
Statuary Marble
1960s French Vintage Louis XIII Furniture
Glass
Mid-20th Century Spanish Louis XIII Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Crystal
2010s American Louis XIII Furniture
Brass
20th Century Dutch Louis XIII Furniture
Iron
17th Century German Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Beech, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Spanish Louis XIII Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Wood
1930s French Vintage Louis XIII Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
16th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Limestone
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
19th Century European Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
1840s French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut, Giltwood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Glass, Oak
1890s French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Louis XIII Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
Early 2000s French Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut, Pine
Early 20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Pine
18th Century Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Iron
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut