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.
Mid-20th Century Turkish Louis XIV Furniture
Silk
Early 20th Century Turkish Louis XIV Furniture
Silk
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Metal, Brass
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Leather, Wood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Porcelain
1680s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Silver Leaf
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
1710s Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wool, Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
1710s Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Fir
1980s Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 1700s European Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass, Copper
19th Century Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Crystal, Iron, Tôle
Early 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1750s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Oak
Late 20th Century American Louis XIV Furniture
Paint
Mid-20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Synthetic, Wood, Paint
1910s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Glass, Wood
1740s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze, Iron, Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Leather, Beech
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Paper
1870s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Tapestry, Mirror, Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
1960s Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Linen, Wood
Mid-20th Century European Louis XIV Furniture
Crystal
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Amethyst, Rock Crystal, Wrought Iron, Silver Leaf
20th Century Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Hardwood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Olive, Walnut
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Linen, Walnut, Fabric, Textile, Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century Indian Louis XIV Furniture
Wool
Mid-17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
1710s Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Leather, Walnut