Louis XIII Furniture
Antique Louis XIII furniture is not as lavish as that of his son Louis XIV, who transformed his father’s modest Versailles hunting lodge into a sumptuous palace. Yet the imposing forms of its chairs, dressers, tables and other pieces express grandeur and luxury.
When Henry IV was assassinated in the streets of Paris in 1610, his young son became the king of France. With Louis XIII too young to rule, the widowed Marie de' Medici — a native of Italy and member of the prominent House of Medici — became regent, instilling an Italian influence in the decorative arts. Even after Louis XIII exiled his mother and took power in 1617, this aesthetic informed his court style. As did the consolidation of power, established with his chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, through his death in 1643.
From sturdy chests and tall cupboards to colossal four-poster beds, almost every piece of Louis XIII furniture was heavily carved or turned from dark-toned wood. Motifs of the period included scrollwork, foliage, fruits, grotesque masks and other images of abundance, often inlaid in marquetry of wood or tortoiseshell. Ornamental scenes, sometimes carved on cabinet panels and other pieces from rare ebony, oak or walnut, were borrowed from engravings by northern European masters like Peter Paul Rubens. Engravings also spread the Louis XIII style during the 17th century, particularly by printmaker Abraham Bosse, who depicted the popular Louis XIII chairs designed with upholstered seats and low, wide backs.
The lofty profiles of the French furniture complemented the architecture under the reign of Louis XIII, such as the Palais du Luxembourg by chief architect Salomon de Brosse and architect Jacques Lemercier’s chapel at the Sorbonne, which showcased the influence of Italian Baroque.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIII armchairs, storage cabinets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XIII Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Limestone
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Limestone
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Limestone
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Limestone
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Bouclé, Walnut
Late 19th Century American Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Leather, Oak
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
1790s British Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Bronze
1640s Dutch Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Bronze
1960s French Vintage Louis XIII Furniture
Glass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Upholstery, Beech
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Stone, Limestone
17th Century Spanish Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century Louis XIII Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1890s English Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Sterling Silver
17th Century Portuguese Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Wrought Iron
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
1810s French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century Louis XIII Furniture
Rosewood
19th Century European Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
2010s American Louis XIII Furniture
Limestone
1980s French Vintage Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut, Elm
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Upholstery
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 1800s European Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Canvas
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut, Cherry, Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Limestone
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Marble
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Wrought Iron
1650s French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Bronze
17th Century British Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Silver
20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
17th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Upholstery, Beech, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
1850s French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Steel
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIII Furniture
Fabric, Bouclé, Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIII Furniture
Oak