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.
18th Century German Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Spruce, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Tapestry, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Bronze
2010s English Louis XVI Furniture
Cane, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Giltwood
2010s British Louis XVI Furniture
Beech
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Kingwood, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Brass
1770s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Giltwood, Mirror
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Cane, Wood
Early 20th Century European Louis XVI Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Iron
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Early 2000s Belgian Louis XVI Furniture
Fabric
1880s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Gesso, Giltwood, Mirror, Wood
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Gold, Enamel, Sterling Silver, Gold Plate
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Stone
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
1950s French Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Marble
1880s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze, Silver Plate
2010s British Louis XVI Furniture
Wood, Paint
1860s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1870s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Limestone
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Beech
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Statuary Marble
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Mercury Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Wood
1860s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Cherry
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
1990s French Louis XVI Furniture
Silver Plate
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Wood
1880s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Glass, Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Brass, Bronze
20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Lapis Lazuli, Ormolu, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 18th Century German Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Oak