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.
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze, Silver Plate
1880s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver
Early 2000s Italian Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century European Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Silver Leaf, Metal
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver
1920s German Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
2010s Italian Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1990s French Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Plate
1930s English Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Metal
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Plate, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Louis XVI Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Early 2000s Italian Louis XVI Furniture
Sterling Silver
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Plate
1990s Italian Louis XVI Furniture
Sterling Silver
1890s German Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Silver
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver
Late 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Silver
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Wood, Mirror
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver
1910s English Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 18th Century Danish Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Cut Glass
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Plate, Copper
Mid-20th Century Spanish Louis XVI Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Silver, Sterling Silver
1930s French Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Leaf
1870s German Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver
1860s Italian Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Plate
20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Leaf, Brass
20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Bronze
1860s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Silver
20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze