Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
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 Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Cherry, Walnut
1850s French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1930s French Vintage Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
20th Century Unknown Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1930s French Vintage Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Gold
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Cherry, Fruitwood, Walnut
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
1860s Italian Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1960s Italian Vintage Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Brass
1930s French Vintage Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Fruitwood
20th Century Italian Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
1910s French Vintage Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1890s French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1930s French Vintage Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1930s French Vintage Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1920s French Vintage Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Fruitwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Maple
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1790s French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XVI Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Ormolu