Louis XIV Seating
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.
2010s Portuguese Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Foam, Wood, Down, Feathers, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XIV Seating
Brass
2010s Portuguese Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Foam, Down, Feathers
21st Century and Contemporary British Louis XIV Seating
Wood
2010s English Louis XIV Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XIV Seating
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XIV Seating
Wood
2010s English Louis XIV Seating
Giltwood, Wood
2010s Italian Louis XIV Seating
Gold Leaf
2010s Brazilian Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Hardwood
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Beech
Early 20th Century Louis XIV Seating
Cane, Walnut
2010s Brazilian Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Teak
1970s American Vintage Louis XIV Seating
Textile, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Wood, Damask
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Tapestry, Beech
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Tapestry, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XIV Seating
Fabric, Velvet
Early 2000s Indonesian Louis XIV Seating
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XIV Seating
Leather, Fabric, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XIV Seating
Brass
2010s British Louis XIV Seating
Wood
Early 2000s French Louis XIV Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Louis XIV Seating
Wood, Giltwood
Early 2000s American Louis XIV Seating
21st Century and Contemporary French Louis XIV Seating
Brass
Early 2000s French Louis XIV Seating
Walnut, Leather
Early 2000s French Louis XIV Seating
Brass