Louis XVI Seating
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.
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Wood, Velvet
1940s French Vintage Louis XVI Seating
Beech
1940s American Vintage Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century Louis XVI Seating
Upholstery, Giltwood
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Mohair, Fruitwood, Paint
Late 20th Century American Louis XVI Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
1790s Italian Antique Louis XVI Seating
Silk, Upholstery, Wood, Beech, Textile
20th Century Louis XVI Seating
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Seating
Leather, Wood
20th Century Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Hardwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Cane, Walnut
1780s French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Beech
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Seating
Metal
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Burlap, Wood
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Seating
Leather
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Wood
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Mohair, Fruitwood, Paint
19th Century Antique Louis XVI Seating
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Mahogany, Burl
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Giltwood, Tapestry
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XVI Seating
Gold
20th Century Italian Louis XVI Seating
Cane
Mid-20th Century American Louis XVI Seating
Abalone, Upholstery, Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Cane, Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique Louis XVI Seating
Oak
Mid-20th Century Louis XVI Seating
Upholstery, Ash
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Satin, Silk, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Beech
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Fruitwood
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Seating
Textile, Beech
Mid-20th Century American Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Foam, Hardwood
19th Century Swedish Antique Louis XVI Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Silk, Fruitwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Linen, Wood
Late 20th Century American Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Cane, Fruitwood
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Seating
Faux Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Louis XVI Seating
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Cane, Wood, Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Wood, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Seating
Leather, Linen
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Seating
Upholstery, Beech
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Silk, Walnut
1890s Scandinavian Antique Louis XVI Seating
Velvet, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Louis XVI Seating
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Louis XVI Seating
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Oak
1880s French Antique Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Seating
Fabric, Fruitwood