Louis XVI Sofas
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.
1870s French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
Giltwood
Early 2000s Belgian Louis XVI Sofas
Fabric
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
Wood
20th Century French Louis XVI Sofas
Wood
Late 18th Century Danish Antique Louis XVI Sofas
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
Giltwood, Tapestry
1920s British Vintage Louis XVI Sofas
Linen, Mahogany
2010s English Louis XVI Sofas
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
Silk, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
Velvet, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
Wood
1880s French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
Textile, Wood, Giltwood, Upholstery
19th Century English Antique Louis XVI Sofas
Brass
20th Century Louis XVI Sofas
Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Sofas
Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XVI Sofas
Fabric
2010s American Louis XVI Sofas
Maple, Fabric
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
1910s French Vintage Louis XVI Sofas
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Sofas
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Sofas
Slip, Upholstery, Wood, Cotton, Down, Linen