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 Unknown Louis XVI Furniture
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Cane, Wood
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Walnut
2010s American Louis XVI Furniture
Rush, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Gold Leaf
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Louis XVI Furniture
Velvet, Wood, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Chenille, Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century American Louis XVI Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 18th Century European Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
1940s Spanish Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Louis XVI Furniture
Resin, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Wool, Silk
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze, Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Mohair, Walnut
20th Century Louis XVI Furniture
Wood, Upholstery
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Giltwood, Mercury Glass
2010s American Louis XVI Furniture
Brass, Steel
1930s Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Fabric, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Ormolu
1770s German Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Wood, Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Iron
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Fabric, Wood
20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Stucco, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Damask, Giltwood
1980s Philippine Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Brass
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood, Paint
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Furniture
Granite, Bronze
20th Century Louis XVI Furniture
Satinwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Walnut
1820s French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Marble, Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Louis XVI Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Louis XVI Furniture
Wood, Paint
1980s French Vintage Louis XVI Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Louis XVI Furniture
Pine