Louis XIV Seating
As opposed to the styles that would follow from the other 18th-century French kings, Louis XV and Louis XVI, antique Louis XIV furniture is rigid and imposing. It expresses opulence — even its armchairs, with their upright backs, straight legs and lavish ornamentation, look like thrones. Authentic Louis XIV sofas, a then newly emerging iteration of seating, are fully upholstered and often feature decoratively carved frames of walnut, chestnut or oak.
When French King Louis XIV established his royal court at Versailles in 1682, he transformed what was once a hunting lodge into a palace that declared his wealth and power through its design. Until his death in 1715, he reigned with a spirit of excess and absolute political dominance. The “Sun King,” as he called himself, believed that France revolved around him as planets do the sun. Louis XIV adopted the sun as his emblem, decorating the grounds with symbols of the sun and Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. As he stated, “There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture.” He was a child when he became king in 1643, only shaping his style after he became absolute monarch in 1661.
Reflecting trends in French Baroque art, Louis XIV furniture characteristics included exuberant decoration. There were gilded bronze details including shells, suns, grotesques, lions and classical references like acanthus leaves. The years of growth in the country’s manufacturing, such as the tapestries and cabinets made at Gobelins, led to design innovations. The commode replaced the chest as a storage device, with drawers and a surface that could double as a desk.
The materials were luxurious, such as the popular tortoiseshell veneer technique that leading cabinetmaker Pierre Golle used in his designs. André-Charles Boulle, who became royal cabinetmaker in 1672, was a masterful artist of marquetry, using inlays of ebony, exotic woods and mother-of-pearl.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIV bedroom furniture, chairs, tables and other pieces on 1stDibs.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Silk, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Walnut
1710s Italian Antique Louis XIV Seating
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XIV Seating
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Velvet, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Oak
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Beech
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Seating
Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Textile, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XIV Seating
Cotton
18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XIV Seating
Oak, Paint
19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XIV Seating
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Fabric, Wood, Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Louis XIV Seating
Brass
2010s Portuguese Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Foam, Wood, Down, Feathers, Silk
Late 20th Century American Louis XIV Seating
Fruitwood, Leather
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Walnut
Early 1900s European Antique Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Fabric, Giltwood
20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Fabric, Wood, Walnut, Linen
Early 20th Century Louis XIV Seating
Fabric, Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Tapestry, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Fabric, Wood, Linen, Walnut
1980s French Vintage Louis XIV Seating
Leather, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Walnut
Late 20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Linen, Wood
1650s Italian Antique Louis XIV Seating
Walnut
1930s Vintage Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Beech
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Giltwood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Rosewood
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Textile, Wood, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Fabric, Wood
1850s French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Tapestry, Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Tapestry, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Gold Leaf
1650s Italian Antique Louis XIV Seating
Walnut
2010s Portuguese Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Foam, Down, Feathers
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Fabric, Oak, Paint
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Wood, Upholstery
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Chestnut
19th Century European Antique Louis XIV Seating
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Metal, Brass
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Linen, Walnut
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Leather, Oak
20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Tapestry, Walnut
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XIV Seating
Velvet, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
1940s French Vintage Louis XIV Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1690s French Antique Louis XIV Seating
Oak