Louis XV Seating
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.
2010s American Louis XV Seating
Brass
2010s Portuguese Louis XV Seating
Upholstery, Velvet, Foam, Wood
2010s Indian Louis XV Seating
Metal, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Sheet Metal
2010s Indian Louis XV Seating
Metal, Bronze, Sheet Metal, Copper
2010s British Louis XV Seating
Hardwood
2010s Indian Louis XV Seating
Metal, Bronze, Sheet Metal
2010s Indian Louis XV Seating
Metal, Bronze, Sheet Metal
2010s Italian Louis XV Seating
Beech
2010s Italian Louis XV Seating
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XV Seating
Leather, Wood
2010s American Louis XV Seating
Linen, Cane, Hardwood
2010s British Louis XV Seating
Gesso, Wood
2010s British Louis XV Seating
Wood, Giltwood
2010s British Louis XV Seating
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Seating
Wood, Fabric, Walnut, Feathers
2010s Polish Louis XV Seating
Steel, Stainless Steel
1950s Italian Vintage Louis XV Seating
Steel
Late 18th Century English Antique Louis XV Seating
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Lacquer
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Seating
Damask, Walnut
2010s Philippine Louis XV Seating
Steel
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Walnut
Late 20th Century European Louis XV Seating
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Louis XV Seating
Cotton, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Louis XV Seating
Cotton, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Seating
Metal
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Seating
Linen, Wood
2010s Dutch Louis XV Seating
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Louis XV Seating
Wood
2010s British Louis XV Seating
Wood, Paint
2010s British Louis XV Seating
Gold
2010s British Louis XV Seating
Gold
2010s Italian Louis XV Seating
Metal
2010s Italian Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Wood
2010s French Louis XV Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Seating
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Seating
2010s Italian Louis XV Seating
Leather, Beech