Louis XIII Seating
Antique Louis XIII furniture is not as lavish as that of his son Louis XIV, who transformed his father’s modest Versailles hunting lodge into a sumptuous palace. Yet the imposing forms of its chairs, dressers, tables and other pieces express grandeur and luxury.
When Henry IV was assassinated in the streets of Paris in 1610, his young son became the king of France. With Louis XIII too young to rule, the widowed Marie de' Medici — a native of Italy and member of the prominent House of Medici — became regent, instilling an Italian influence in the decorative arts. Even after Louis XIII exiled his mother and took power in 1617, this aesthetic informed his court style. As did the consolidation of power, established with his chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, through his death in 1643.
From sturdy chests and tall cupboards to colossal four-poster beds, almost every piece of Louis XIII furniture was heavily carved or turned from dark-toned wood. Motifs of the period included scrollwork, foliage, fruits, grotesque masks and other images of abundance, often inlaid in marquetry of wood or tortoiseshell. Ornamental scenes, sometimes carved on cabinet panels and other pieces from rare ebony, oak or walnut, were borrowed from engravings by northern European masters like Peter Paul Rubens. Engravings also spread the Louis XIII style during the 17th century, particularly by printmaker Abraham Bosse, who depicted the popular Louis XIII chairs designed with upholstered seats and low, wide backs.
The lofty profiles of the French furniture complemented the architecture under the reign of Louis XIII, such as the Palais du Luxembourg by chief architect Salomon de Brosse and architect Jacques Lemercier’s chapel at the Sorbonne, which showcased the influence of Italian Baroque.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIII armchairs, storage cabinets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
Mid-17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Tapestry, Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Oak, Velvet
Mid-20th Century Louis XIII Seating
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Metal
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Seating
Fabric, Walnut
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Steel
1960s French Vintage Louis XIII Seating
Upholstery, Beech
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Seating
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Mohair, Fruitwood
Late 20th Century Louis XIII Seating
Leather, Walnut
Late 18th Century Swiss Antique Louis XIII Seating
18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
1930s French Vintage Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Fabric, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Upholstery, Ash
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Seating
Leather, Walnut
17th Century European Antique Louis XIII Seating
Beech
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
1860s French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Leather, Wood, Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Silk
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Silk, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIII Seating
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Leather, Oak
1690s French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Mohair, Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Beech
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Louis XIII Seating
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIII Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1880s French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Beech
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Wood, Upholstery
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Wood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Wood
1880s French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
19th Century Antique Louis XIII Seating
Fabric, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
1880s French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Silk, Walnut
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Seating
Upholstery, Beech
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Fruitwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIII Seating
Tapestry, Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XIII Seating
Brass
Early 20th Century European Louis XIII Seating
Oak