New in Louis XV Furniture
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century Italian New in Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Olive, Burl
Early 20th Century French New in Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Wood
1930s French Vintage New in Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Wool
19th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
1880s European Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1930s French Vintage New in Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
1940s French Vintage New in Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-18th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French New in Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Gold Leaf
Mid-18th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-18th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Mid-18th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Late 18th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Late 20th Century American New in Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Cotton, Wood, Trimming
2010s British New in Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1920s American Vintage New in Louis XV Furniture
Satinwood
20th Century New in Louis XV Furniture
Early 19th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Limestone
1880s French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Wool
1940s French Vintage New in Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1940s French Vintage New in Louis XV Furniture
Burlap, Wood, Paint
1920s French Vintage New in Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1940s French Vintage New in Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1930s French Vintage New in Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1890s French Antique New in Louis XV Furniture
Walnut