Louis XVI Armchairs
Reflecting the final era of royal opulence before the upheaval of the French Revolution, antique Louis XVI furniture features more angular shapes than the Rococo curves of the Louis XV style, harkening back to the imposing grandeur of Louis XIV.
Dating between 1750 and 1800, an era that overlapped with the last king of France whose reign was cut short by the guillotine, Louis XVI furniture, known as the goût grec, is emblematic of the neoclassical revision that French furniture underwent during the second half of the 18th century.
Authentic Louis XVI furniture characteristics include clean lines and carved details such as scrolls and acanthus flourishes that were inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. This was informed by a burgeoning interest in antiquity in the 18th century, owing to new archaeological excavations at sites including Pompeii and Herculaneum. It largely eclipsed the more East Asian–influenced ornamentation of Louis XV for something more geometric and symmetrical.
The Louis XVI style was defined by what was being created for the palatial rooms at Versailles and Fontainebleau, particularly for the queen, with cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener being a favorite of Marie-Antoinette’s for his luxurious pieces accented with gilded bronze and marquetry. Furniture maker Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené was also a major designer of the period, with his pieces for the royal residences adorned with giltwood and neoclassical touches like tapered columns for chair legs and laurel leaf carvings. Cabinetmaker Adam Weisweiler occasionally incorporated into his furniture porcelain panels produced by Sèvres, a popular manufacturer of European ceramics that served the crown with serveware, vases and other decorative objects.
Find a collection of antique Louis XVI seating, tables, cabinets and other furniture on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XVI Armchairs
Fabric, Beech
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Armchairs
Velvet
1940s American Vintage Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Linen, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood
1970s American Vintage Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Beech, Silk, Upholstery
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Walnut, Upholstery, Linen
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Giltwood, Fabric
2010s Italian Louis XVI Armchairs
Metal
1950s French Vintage Louis XVI Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Velvet, Wood
Early 20th Century American Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood, Velvet
Mid-18th Century Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Beech
1870s French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Giltwood
1870s French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Brass
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Walnut, Upholstery
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Cotton, Beech
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XVI Armchairs
Late 20th Century Italian Louis XVI Armchairs
Beech
1870s French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood
20th Century Louis XVI Armchairs
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Walnut