Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
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.
Early 1900s Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Ormolu
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass
Early 1900s Italian Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Early 1900s Italian Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Olive
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Breccia Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Breccia Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Fabric, Walnut
Early 1900s European Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Ormolu
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Kingwood
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Kingwood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass
19th Century Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s European Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Breccia Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany, Tulipwood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut