Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
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.
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Wood, Giltwood, Glass
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mother-of-Pearl, Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mercury Glass, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
Early 1700s French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Plaster, Giltwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century American Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Paint, Wood, Mirror
20th Century Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1760s French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
20th Century Italian Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Hardwood
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mahogany, Mirror
Early 1700s French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Plaster, Wood
20th Century French Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
18th Century Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Wood
Early 1700s Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Pine
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 18th Century Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood, Paper
1960s Italian Vintage Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Glass, Pine
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
17th Century Portuguese Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Pine, Mirror, Gesso
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Gesso
1870s French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Copper
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Gesso, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Mid-17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Fruitwood
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 20th Century French Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
1960s French Vintage Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Gold Leaf
17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Brass, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Unknown Antique Louis XIV Wall Mirrors
Wood