Louis XIV Furniture
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.
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Leather, Oak
1710s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Tortoise Shell
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Paper
1880s English Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Carrara Marble
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Rock Crystal, Ormolu
17th Century Swiss Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century European Louis XIV Furniture
Fabric, Fruitwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Beech
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood
17th Century Dutch Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Limestone
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Paper
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 1700s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century Turkish Louis XIV Furniture
Silk
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Griotte Marble
1960s Italian Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Sterling Silver, Enamel, Gold
Early 20th Century British Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood, Oak
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Terracotta
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood, Walnut
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Fruitwood, Giltwood
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Metal, Iron
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze