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.
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood, Paper
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Stone
Late 20th Century Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Rosewood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Copper
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood, Paint
18th Century British Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Hardwood
Late 17th Century Belgian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wool
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Stone, Marble, Metal, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Kingwood, Mahogany, Satinwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Carrara Marble
1930s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Brass, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Cotton, Upholstery, Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
1710s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Hardwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Plaster, Giltwood
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Cane, Hardwood
1950s Belgian Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
1950s Belgian Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
1930s European Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Crystal, Wire, Metal
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XIV Furniture
Onyx, Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Cotton
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Limestone
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Limestone
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Limestone
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Chestnut
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century Unknown Louis XIV Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
1870s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
20th Century German Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron