Louis XIV Furniture
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.
20th Century Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
1930s American Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Fruitwood
20th Century German Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century American Louis XIV Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
Late 20th Century European Louis XIV Furniture
Mahogany, Paint
Early 20th Century Spanish Louis XIV Furniture
Crystal, Brass, Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron, Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
1910s European Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s European Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Walnut, Linen
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Mahogany
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Linen, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Mahogany
1930s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Unknown Louis XIV Furniture
Hardwood, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Silver Plate, Bronze, Tin
20th Century Thai Louis XIV Furniture
Stone, Malachite
20th Century Unknown Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century American Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1930s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Brass, Bronze
20th Century American Louis XIV Furniture
Composition
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Tapestry, Oak
Late 20th Century American Louis XIV Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood
20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Late 20th Century American Louis XIV Furniture
Leather, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
1930s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Oak
1960s Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Cane, Wood
20th Century Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Faux Leather, Walnut
20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
1930s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Tapestry, Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Wood, Tulipwood
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century German Louis XIV Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
1910s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Brass