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.
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century European Louis XV Furniture
Beech
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silver
20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Copper
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Tapestry, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
1750s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Gold
Early 1900s European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1870s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Rosewood, Satinwood
Late 19th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Bronze
1870s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1750s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1950s European Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Gold
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Canvas
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Sterling Silver
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
1930s European Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Beech
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Nutwood
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Zinc
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Griotte Marble
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Canvas
19th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Onyx
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Nickel
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Earthenware
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood