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.
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Fruitwood, Giltwood
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Steel
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Mahogany, Mirror
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Paint
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Fabric, Sycamore
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Metal, Iron
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
1960s European Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century American Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Wood
19th Century Unknown Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1830s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Metal, Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Mohair, Giltwood
1970s Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Gold Plate, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Beech
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Metal, Bronze
1710s Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Early 1700s Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Textile, Sycamore
1720s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Metal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Tapestry, Oak
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century German Louis XIV Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Tapestry, Walnut
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
Early 1700s European Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass, Copper
1940s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Egyptian Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
1950s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wool, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood, Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Oak