Louis XVI Furniture
Reflecting the final era of royal opulence before the upheaval of the French Revolution, antique Louis XVI furniture features more angular shapes than the Rococo curves of the Louis XV style, harkening back to the imposing grandeur of Louis XIV.
Dating between 1750 and 1800, an era that overlapped with the last king of France whose reign was cut short by the guillotine, Louis XVI furniture, known as the goût grec, is emblematic of the neoclassical revision that French furniture underwent during the second half of the 18th century.
Authentic Louis XVI furniture characteristics include clean lines and carved details such as scrolls and acanthus flourishes that were inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. This was informed by a burgeoning interest in antiquity in the 18th century, owing to new archaeological excavations at sites including Pompeii and Herculaneum. It largely eclipsed the more East Asian–influenced ornamentation of Louis XV for something more geometric and symmetrical.
The Louis XVI style was defined by what was being created for the palatial rooms at Versailles and Fontainebleau, particularly for the queen, with cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener being a favorite of Marie-Antoinette’s for his luxurious pieces accented with gilded bronze and marquetry. Furniture maker Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené was also a major designer of the period, with his pieces for the royal residences adorned with giltwood and neoclassical touches like tapered columns for chair legs and laurel leaf carvings. Cabinetmaker Adam Weisweiler occasionally incorporated into his furniture porcelain panels produced by Sèvres, a popular manufacturer of European ceramics that served the crown with serveware, vases and other decorative objects.
Find a collection of antique Louis XVI seating, tables, cabinets and other furniture on 1stDibs.
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Onyx, Enamel, Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Metal
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Leather, Linen
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary European Louis XVI Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Terracotta
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Mid-18th Century German Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Louis XVI Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Canvas
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Enamel, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Enamel, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Wool, Upholstery
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
1860s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Carrara Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Enamel, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Carrara Marble, Ormolu