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.
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1720s French Antique Louis XV Seating
Tapestry, Upholstery, Beech
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Tapestry, Beech
1960s French Vintage Louis XV Seating
Velvet, Wood
20th Century French Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Wood, Walnut
1890s Antique Louis XV Seating
Beech
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Seating
Leather, Abalone, Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Seating
Walnut
19th Century Chinese Antique Louis XV Seating
Beech
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Seating
Tapestry, Walnut
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Seating
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Louis XV Seating
Wood, Upholstery
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Wood
2010s Indian Louis XV Seating
Metal, Bronze, Sheet Metal
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Seating
Walnut, Faux Fur
Late 20th Century European Louis XV Seating
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Seating
Mahogany, Walnut
1950s Vintage Louis XV Seating
Velvet, Wood
2010s Indian Louis XV Seating
Metal, Bronze, Sheet Metal, Brass, Copper
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Giltwood
1870s French Antique Louis XV Seating
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Seating
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Wood, Paint
18th Century European Antique Louis XV Seating
Velvet, Oak
Early 20th Century Louis XV Seating
Cane, Wood
Early 20th Century Louis XV Seating
Velvet, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Seating
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Velvet, Mahogany
1920s Italian Vintage Louis XV Seating
Cane, Walnut
1960s Vintage Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Wood
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Seating
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Beech
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Seating
Cane, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Damask, Upholstery, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Seating
Silver
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Velvet, Cane, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Cotton, Wood, Trimming
1890s French Antique Louis XV Seating
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-19th Century European Antique Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Paint, Wood
1990s Louis XV Seating
Cotton, Damask, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Louis XV Seating
Fabric, Wood
1940s Argentine Vintage Louis XV Seating
Wood
1960s Vintage Louis XV Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Seating
Upholstery, Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Wood
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Seating
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary North American Louis XV Seating
Cowhide
Mid-20th Century Unknown Louis XV Seating
Velvet
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Seating
Giltwood