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.
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
1870s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
1680s Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Faux Leather, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Louis XIV Furniture
Wool
1980s Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Paper
20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Oak
Early 18th Century Dutch Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Oak, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Silk, Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Oak, Walnut
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Tapestry, Oak
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
20th Century Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood
1870s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood, Walnut
20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Velvet, Wood
1940s Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Cane, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Kingwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wire
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood, Rosewood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Early 1700s Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Unknown Louis XIV Furniture
Hardwood, Lacquer
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
Early 18th Century European Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary British Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
2010s Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass, Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XIV Furniture
Wood