Louis XV Vanities
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Metal, Pewter
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Vanities
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
1750s French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Mirror, Wood, Paint
1760s French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Kingwood, Mahogany, Yew
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Ormolu
1760s French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Tulipwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Brass
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Vanities
Marble
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Vanities
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Vanities
Oak
Late 20th Century Louis XV Vanities
Mahogany
1850s French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Walnut
2010s British Louis XV Vanities
Bronze
1850s French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Kingwood, Tulipwood
1920s American Vintage Louis XV Vanities
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Vanities
Brass
2010s British Louis XV Vanities
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Kingwood
1890s French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Marble, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Vanities
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Ormolu
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Vanities
Bronze
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Tulipwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Vanities
Patent Leather, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Hardwood, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Ormolu
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Rosewood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Vanities
Brass
1860s English Antique Louis XV Vanities
Ormolu