Louis XVI Cabinets
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.
Late 20th Century Asian Louis XVI Cabinets
Brass
1970s Vintage Louis XVI Cabinets
Glass, Mirror, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Cabinets
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Cabinets
Hardwood, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Cabinets
Elm, Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Cabinets
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
1870s French Antique Louis XVI Cabinets
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Cabinets
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Louis XVI Cabinets
Hardwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Cabinets
Brass
1880s French Antique Louis XVI Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Cabinets
Metal
Late 20th Century North American Louis XVI Cabinets
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Cabinets
Brass, Bronze
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Cabinets
Hardwood, Lacquer
1990s Louis XVI Cabinets
Metal
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Cabinets
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Cabinets
Brass
1980s Vintage Louis XVI Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
1970s North American Vintage Louis XVI Cabinets
Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Louis XVI Cabinets
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Louis XVI Cabinets
Brass
1980s French Vintage Louis XVI Cabinets
Brass
Late 20th Century American Louis XVI Cabinets
Wood, Oak
Late 20th Century French Louis XVI Cabinets
Brass