Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
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.
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Upholstery
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Oak
20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Oak
1860s French Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Faux Leather, Walnut
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Tapestry, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Oak, Upholstery
2010s Italian Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Gold Leaf
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
1930s French Vintage Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Tapestry, Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Cane
20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Brass
20th Century Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Early 1900s North American Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Cane
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Beech, Velvet
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
1990s Italian Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Fruitwood
1820s Swedish Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Birch
20th Century Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Damask
20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Giltwood, Wood
1950s Austrian Vintage Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Beech, Plywood
20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Tapestry, Beech
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Beech
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Faux Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Mohair, Oak
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Beech
20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Beech
1930s French Vintage Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Beech
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Giltwood
1990s Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Cotton, Hardwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1970s Italian Vintage Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Beech
Late 20th Century Unknown Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Louis XIV Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood