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.
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century American Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Gesso, Silk, Upholstery, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1860s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Birch
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1890s Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Breccia Marble
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1870s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century American Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Textile, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Glass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Enamel
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Beech
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut, Burl, Ash
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Spelter
19th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wool, Satin, Giltwood
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1860s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century Dutch Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Copper, Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Iron
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu