Louis XV Benches
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Leather, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Leather, Walnut
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Benches
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Fabric, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Benches
Upholstery, Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Benches
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Fabric, Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Benches
Walnut, Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Benches
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Benches
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Louis XV Benches
Cotton, Fruitwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Wood
1980s Vintage Louis XV Benches
Upholstery, Wood
1920s Italian Vintage Louis XV Benches
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Benches
Velvet, Wood, Walnut
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Benches
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Benches
Upholstery, Fruitwood
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Benches
Leather
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Benches
Leather, Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Benches
Walnut, Cane
20th Century French Louis XV Benches
Fruitwood
20th Century Unknown Louis XV Benches
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century German Louis XV Benches
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Benches
Linen, Wood, Paint
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Benches
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Wood
Mid-20th Century North American Louis XV Benches
Fabric, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Benches
Cane, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Benches
Silver
Mid-18th Century European Antique Louis XV Benches
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Tapestry, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Benches
Muslin, Upholstery, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Oak
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Benches
Walnut
1750s French Antique Louis XV Benches
Marble
20th Century European Louis XV Benches
Fabric, Fruitwood
20th Century Louis XV Benches
Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Elm, Oak
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Benches
Cane, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Benches
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary British Louis XV Benches
Upholstery, Wood, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Fabric, Walnut
18th Century European Antique Louis XV Benches
Oak
1920s Italian Vintage Louis XV Benches
Linen, Wood
20th Century Louis XV Benches
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Louis XV Benches
Giltwood, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Oak
20th Century French Louis XV Benches
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Benches
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Benches
Cane, Wood, Giltwood